Shloka 38
जयद्रथवधः — The Slaying of Jayadratha
Sunset Vow and Curse-Condition
ते पिबन्त इवाकाशं युयुधानं हयोत्तमा:
te pibanta ivākāśaṃ yuyudhānaṃ hayottamāḥ
قال سنجيا: إنَّ خيولاً من خيارِ الخيل، كأنها ترتشفُ السماءَ ارتشافاً، حملت يُيُوذَهانا مندفِعاً إلى الأمام؛ وكانت شدّةُ اندفاعها وسرعتُها حتى خُيِّلَ أنها تبتلعُ الفضاءَ الذي أمامها.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid simile—horses 'drinking the sky'—to convey overwhelming speed and force. Ethically, it hints at how power and momentum in war can seem to consume all space for deliberation, reminding readers that even dazzling prowess must be weighed against dharma and restraint.
Sañjaya describes Yuyudhāna’s advance in battle: he is carried by superb horses moving so swiftly that it appears they are swallowing the open sky ahead of them.