Shloka 70
अध्याय ८० — मध्यंदिन-रणवृत्तान्तः
Yudhiṣṭhira–Śrutāyu encounter; Cekitāna–Gautama clash; Abhimanyu pressure; Arjuna’s redeployment
वैवस्वतक्षयं घोरं प्रेषयामास भारत । सारथिं चास्य भल््लेन प्रेषयामास मृत्यवे
vaiśvata-kṣayaṃ ghoraṃ preṣayāmāsa bhārata | sārathiṃ cāsya bhallena preṣayāmāsa mṛtyave ||
Sañjaya sprach: O Bhārata, er sandte die vier Pferde in das schreckliche Reich Yamas; und mit einem scharfen Bhalla-Pfeil gab er auch den Wagenlenker in die Hände des Todes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark moral gravity of war: victory often comes by dismantling the opponent’s supports (horses, charioteer), showing how quickly life and agency can be extinguished. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-duty performed amid inevitable suffering and the inescapable presence of Death (Yama/Mṛtyu) on the battlefield.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior strikes decisively: the horses are sent to Yama’s dreadful realm, and the charioteer is killed with a bhalla-arrow—rendering the chariot ineffective and leaving the warrior vulnerable.