01Brother of Madri
Shalya, king of the Madras, gave his sister Madri to Pandu when Bhishma came with gold, jewels, horses and elephants, for the bride-price was the custom of the Madra kings and Bhishma did not argue with it. Shalya was famed as a chariot-fighter and with the mace. At Draupadi’s svayamvara, when the kings turned on the brahmins who had won her, Shalya fought Bhima hand to hand and was lifted and thrown, and Bhima let him go unharmed. When Nakula came west before the Rajasuya, his uncle received him with affection.
02A trap of hospitality
When the call to war went out, Shalya marched with a great army to join his nephews. All along the road he found pavilions, food, music and attendants waiting, and, delighted, asked whose servants had prepared them; he wanted to reward the man. Duryodhana stepped out and asked for his reward: lead my army. Shalya had given his word. He went on to Upaplavya and told Yudhishthira, who asked him one favour in return: when you drive Karna’s chariot against Arjuna, break his spirit. Shalya promised, and told Yudhishthira the katha of Indra’s troubles after slaying Vritra, to show that the good also suffer and come through.
03Charioteer and commander
Shalya was furious at being asked to drive for a suta’s son, until Duryodhana compared him to Brahma, who drove Mahadev’s chariot against the three cities. On the field he kept his promise to Yudhishthira: he praised Arjuna, and told Karna the parable of a crow who boasted he could out-fly the swans and nearly drowned at sea. The two quarrelled bitterly over each other’s peoples. After Karna fell, Shalya took command on the eighteenth morning and fought well. In the afternoon Yudhishthira, the gentlest of the brothers, threw a great spear at him, and the king of Madra fell.