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ŚALYA A king who gave advice and leadership to the Kauravas. he ruled over the Madra or Bālhīka kingdom. Mādrī, wife of Pāṇḍu was Śalya's sister. yet, in the great war he stood firmly on the Kaurava side and died at Kurukṣetra. The following role he played in the Bhārata story. (1) At the instance of Bhīṣma he gave his sister Mādrī in marriage to Pāṇḍu. [Ādi Parva, Chapter 112] . (2) he was present at the wedding of Draupadī in the company of his sons Rukmāṅgada and Rukmaratha. [Ādi Parva, Chapter 185, Verse 18] . (3) At the Śvayaṁvara of Draupadī he withdrew from stringing the bow, owning defeat. [Ādi Parva, Chapter 186, Verse 28] . (4) Bhīma defeated him at the wedding of Draupadī. [Ādi Parva, Chapter 189, Verse 23] (5) during his triumphal tour of the west, Nakula be- friended his uncle Śalya, and entertained him. [Sabhā Parva, Chapter 32, Verse 14] . (6) he participated in Yudhiṣṭhira's Rājasūya yajña. [Sabhā Parva, Chapter 34, Verse 7] . (7) Śiśupāla once opined that Śalya was nobler than Śrī Kṛṣṇa. [Sabhā Parva, Chapter 37, Verse 14] . (8) he presented a good sword and a golden jar to Yudhiṣṭhira on the occasion of his coronation. [Sabhā Parva, Chapter 53, Verse 9] . (9) When Dharmaputra went to Hastināpura to play the game of dice, Śalya was found to have arrived there earlier. [Sabhā Parva, Chapter 58, Verse 24] . (10) before the great war began he visited the Pāṇḍavas and blessed them. moreover he agreed to act as Karṇa's charioteer and render him impotent so that the Pāṇḍavas could become victorious. [Udyoga Parva, Chapter 8] . (11) Śalya joined the Kauravas in the great war with an akṣauhiṇī [a particular division of soldiers]. ---10--- . (12) Śalya wished that Yudhiṣṭhira won the war. ---11--- . (13) On the first day of the war he fought a duel with Yudhiṣṭhira. ---12--- . (14) Śalya killed Uttara, the Virāṭa prince. ---13--- . (15) he defeated Śaṅkha, another Virāṭa prince. ---14--- . (16) he fought with Dhṛṣṭadyumna. ---15--- . (17) Bhīmasena defeated Śalya. ---16--- . (18) he fought with Yudhiṣṭhira again. ---17--- . (19) Nakula and Sahadeva attacked Śalya. ---18--- . (20) Sahadeva defeated Śalya. ---19--- . (21) Śalya attacked Śikhaṇḍī. ---20--- . (22) In the battle that followed he attacked the whole lot of Pāṇḍavas and wounded Yudhiṣṭhira. ---21--- . (23) Bhīma and arjuna fought with Śalya. ---22--- . (24) Śalya fought a duel with Yudhiṣṭhira for the third time. ---23--- . (25) he fought with Nakula. ---24--- . (26) Abhimanyu and Śalya fought with each other. ---25--- . (27) afterwards in a club-fight with Bhīma, Śalya got defeated. ---26--- . (28) he fought again with Yudhiṣṭhira. ---27--- . (29) In the fight with Abhimanyu he fell down unconscious. ---28--- . (30) Abhimanyu defeated him again. ---29--- . (31) he fought for the fifth time with Yudhiṣṭhira. ---30--- . (32) afterwards he clashed with arjuna as the protector of Jayadratha. ---31--- . (33) he killed Śatānīka, brother of Virāṭa. ---32--- . (34) When Droṇa was killed Śalya ran away from the battlefield. ---33--- . (35) Śrutakīrti attacked Śalya. ---34--- . (36) Duryodhana insisted upon Śalya acting as charioteer of Karṇa. At first Śalya got angry about the suggestion, but finally he took up the charioteership. ---35--- . (37) As the charioteer of Karṇa Śalya cried down the former and praised arjuna. ---36--- . (38) Karṇa threatened to kill Śalya. ---37--- . (39) Śalya cried down Karṇa by relating to him the story of the swan and the crow. ---38--- . (40) When Bhīma wanted to cut off Karṇa's tongue Śalya reminded him of arjuna's vow and thus made Bhīma retract from his plan. ---39--- ;---40--- . (41) When Karṇa attempted to kill Nakula, Sahadeva and Yudhiṣṭhira, Śalya prevented him from doing so. ---41--- . (42) he consoled Karṇa, who got alarmed by the prowess of Bhīma. ---42--- . (43) Śalya comforted Duryodhana, who grieved over the death of Karṇa. ---43--- . (44) As desired by Duryodhana, he assumed charge over the army as its commander-in-chief. ---44--- . (45) he fought a fierce battle with Bhīma and Dharmaputra. ---45--- . (46) Dharmaputra defeated Śalya. ---46--- . (47) In the battle that followed, Śalya was killed by Yudhiṣṭhira. ---47--- . (48) among the souls of those killed in battle beckoned to the surface of the Gaṅgā, Śalya's soul also was present. ---48--- . (49) Saṁhlāda, brother of Prahlāda and son of Hiraṇyakaśipu was another birth of Śalya. ---49--- . (50) Synonyms used in the Mahābhārata for Śalya: Ārtāyani, Bālhīkapuṅgava, Madrādhipa, Madraja, Madrajanādhipa, Mādraka, Madrarāṭ, Sauvīra etc.
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