Mahabharata 7.119.14 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 119, Shloka 14
Śaineya–Bhūriśravas: Genealogy, Svayaṃvara Contest, and the Maheśvara Boon
सप्तत्या सारथिं विद्ध्वा तुरज्जांश्न त्रिभिस्त्रिभि: । ध्वजमेकेन चिच्छेद माधवस्य रथे स्थितम्
saptatyā sārathiṁ viddhvā turaṅgāṁś ca tribhis tribhiḥ | dhvajam ekena ciccheda mādhavasya rathe sthitam ||
Sañjaya sprach: Nachdem er den Wagenlenker mit siebzig Pfeilen durchbohrt und die Pferde mit je drei Pfeilen getroffen hatte, trennte er dann mit einem einzigen Schaft das Banner (dhvaja), das auf Mādhavas Wagen stand.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how warfare targets both the physical and the symbolic: striking the charioteer, disabling horses, and cutting the banner demonstrates mastery used to destabilize an enemy’s capacity and morale. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-dharma—skill and courage in battle—while also revealing the ethical tension of violence directed at vulnerable supports (driver, horses) and identity-markers (dhvaja).
In the midst of the Drona Parva battle, a warrior unleashes a rapid sequence: he pierces the charioteer with seventy arrows, hits the horses with three arrows each, and then cuts down the banner on Mādhava’s (Kṛṣṇa’s) chariot with a single arrow—an act meant to display superiority and shake the opposing side.
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