Shloka 206
केशेषु समसज्जन्त कवचेषु भुजेषु च । महाराज! रथीलोग रथहीन हो जानेपर परस्पर भिड़कर एक-दूसरेके केश, कवच और बाँहें पकड़कर जूझने लगे
keśeṣu samasajjanta kavaceṣu bhujēṣu ca | mahārāja rathīlōgā rathahīnāḥ paraspraṁ bhiḍitvā anyōnyasya keśān kavacāni bhujāṁś ca gṛhītvā yuyudhire ||
Sañjaya sagte: „O großer König, als die Wagenkämpfer ihrer Streitwagen beraubt waren, drängten sie dicht aufeinander zu und kämpften im Nahkampf. Sie packten einander bei den Haaren, an der Rüstung und an den Armen und rangen und stritten Mann gegen Mann.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the relentless momentum of war: when conventional means (chariots and weapons) fail, combatants still persist, shifting to grappling. Ethically, it highlights how battle can erode distance and restraint, drawing warriors into raw, bodily struggle—an aspect of kṣatriya-dharma’s harsh reality rather than an ideal of compassion.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that many chariot-fighters have lost their chariots. Deprived of mobility and standard chariot warfare, they rush together and fight at close range, grabbing hair, armor, and arms, wrestling and striking in a chaotic melee.