Shloka 7
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ४०
Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
समं च विषम चैव रथिनश्न॒ बलाबलम् | श्रम: खेदश्न॒ सततं हयानां रथिना सह
samaṃ ca viṣama caiva rathinaś ca balābalam | śramaḥ khedaś ca satataṃ hayānāṃ rathinā saha ||
Sañjaya sprach: „Auf ebenem wie auf unebenem Boden muss der Wagenlenker unablässig die Stärke und Schwäche des Wagenkämpfers ermessen; und mit ihm zugleich hat er fortwährend die Müdigkeit und Anstrengung der Pferde zu ertragen.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective leadership in battle requires continuous assessment of capability and limitation, and shared responsibility for the strain borne by one’s team—here, the charioteer must read the warrior’s condition and manage the horses’ fatigue without neglect.
Sañjaya describes practical realities of chariot combat: terrain changes (level and uneven) demand constant judgment, and the charioteer must coordinate with the chariot-warrior while also attending to the horses’ ongoing exhaustion and stress.