Shloka 5
कर्णस्य दानप्रतिज्ञा–शल्योपदेश–वाक्ययुद्धम्
Karna’s Gift-Vows, Shalya’s Counsel, and the Battle of Words
चतुर्भिश्चतुरो वाहांस्तस्य हत्वा महारथ: । पजञ्चमेन शिर: कायात् सारथेश्व समाक्षिपत्
caturbhiś caturo vāhāṁs tasya hatvā mahārathaḥ | pañcamena śiraḥ kāyāt sārathes tu samākṣipat ||
Sañjaya sprach: Der große Wagenkämpfer streckte mit vier Pfeilen Duryodhanas vier Pferde nieder; dann trennte er mit dem fünften dem Wagenlenker den Kopf vom Leib und warf ihn zu Boden. Die Szene betont die erbarmungslose Präzision der Kriegskunst, in der taktische Notwendigkeit und das Schwinden der Selbstzucht Hand in Hand gehen, während die dharmische Ordnung im Krieg zerfällt.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the extremity of war, technical prowess and strategic targeting (horses, then charioteer) can override ordinary restraints; it invites reflection on how dharma becomes strained and ambiguous when victory is pursued through escalating violence.
Sañjaya reports that an elite warrior disables Duryodhana’s chariot by killing its four horses with four arrows and then kills the charioteer by beheading him with a fifth arrow, effectively neutralizing Duryodhana’s mobility and immediate combat capacity.