Shloka 28
Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
हताश्व॑ं च समालक्ष्य हतसूतमरिंदम
hatāśvaṃ ca samālakṣya hatasūtam ariṃdama
সঞ্জয় বললেন: রথের অশ্ব নিহত এবং সারথিও নিহত—এ দেখে, হে শত্রুদমন, সে যুদ্ধের সংকটময় অবস্থা বুঝল; কারণ রণে পরীক্ষা কেবল বলের নয়, আশ্রয় ও শৃঙ্খলা ভেঙে পড়ারও।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic: a warrior’s effectiveness depends on the integrity of his supports (horses, charioteer, order). When these are destroyed, the situation becomes a moral and strategic crisis, testing steadiness, judgment, and adherence to kṣatriya-dharma under sudden reversal.
Sañjaya reports that a chariot is seen in a disabled state—its horses killed and its charioteer slain—signaling a decisive setback in the ongoing combat and setting up the next actions taken in response to that vulnerability.