Shloka 22

भूरिश्रवसः गर्हा, प्रायोपवेशः, सात्यकिकृतशिरच्छेदः

Bhūriśravas’s Censure, Prāyopaveśa, and Sātyaki’s Beheading

Devanagari script

हत्वा तु चतुरो वाहांश्षतुर्भिनिशितै: शरै: । सारथिं पातयामास क्षुरप्रेण महायशा:,फिर चार तीखे बाणोंसे उसके चारों घोड़ोंको मारकर महायशस्वी सात्यकिने क्षुरप्रद्वारा उसके सारथिको भी मार गिराया

Transliteration

hatvā tu caturo vāhāṁś caturbhir niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | sārathiṁ pātayāmāsa kṣurapreṇa mahāyaśāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Nachdem er die vier Pferde mit vier scharfen Pfeilen erschlagen hatte, streckte der hochberühmte Krieger auch den Wagenlenker mit einem pfeilscharfen, rasiermessergleichen Geschoss nieder—eine Tat, die den feindlichen Streitwagen nach der unerbittlichen Notwendigkeit des Schlachtfeldes entscheidend außer Gefecht setzte.

Word by Word

हत्वाhaving slain

तुbut/indeed

चतुरःfour

वाहान्horses/steeds

चतुर्भिःwith four

निशितैःsharp

शरैःwith arrows

सारथिम्charioteer

पातयामासcaused to fall; felled

क्षुरप्रेणwith a razor-headed (arrow)

महायशाःthe greatly renowned (one)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Sātyaki

chariot horses (vāhāḥ)

charioteer (sārathi)

arrows (śarāḥ)

razor-edged arrow (kṣurapra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse reflects the harsh logic of kṣatriya warfare: disabling an opponent’s mobility and command (horses and charioteer) is a decisive tactic. Ethically, it illustrates how, within the Mahābhārata’s war setting, duty-driven action can prioritize strategic necessity over ordinary peacetime norms.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that the famed warrior Sātyaki shoots four sharp arrows to kill the four horses of an enemy chariot, and then uses a razor-edged arrow to strike down the charioteer, effectively neutralizing the chariot in combat.