Shloka 40
अध्याय ५३ — रणमेघोपमा सेना-वर्णना तथा सुषेण-वधोत्तर प्रतिक्रिया
Battle-as-Storm Imagery and the Aftermath of Suṣeṇa’s Fall
सारथिं चास्य तरसा प्राहिणोद् यमसादनम् | भल्लेन शितधारेण स हत: प्रापतद् रथात्
sārathiṁ cāsya tarasā prāhiṇod yamasādanam | bhallena śitadhāreṇa sa hataḥ prāpatad rathāt |
قال سنجيا: وبقوةٍ خاطفةٍ أرسل سائقَ عربةِ ذلك الرجل إلى دار يَما، إذ أصابه بسهم «بهلّا» حادّ الحافة. فسقط السائقُ صريعًا من العربة إلى ساحة القتال—فعلٌ يوقف تقدّم الخصم بقطع وسيلة السيطرة والحركة وسط أخلاق الحرب القاسية.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark reality of war: death is ever-present and is poetically framed as being sent to Yama’s realm. It also reflects battlefield pragmatism—disabling an enemy’s chariot by killing the charioteer—within the harsh framework of kṣatriya conduct.
In the midst of combat, a warrior strikes the opponent’s charioteer with a sharp bhalla, killing him. The charioteer then falls from the chariot onto the battlefield, effectively checking the opponent’s movement and momentum.