Shloka 296
Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
अपोवाह महाबाहुं तूर्णणायोधनादपि । फिर सम्पूर्ण धनुर्धरोंके देखते-देखते महाबाहु कृतवर्माको अपने रथपर बिठाकर वे उसे तुरंत ही युद्धस्थलसे दूर हटा ले गये
apo vāha mahābāhuṃ tūṛṇaṃ yuddhād api | punaḥ sampūrṇa-dhanurdharāṇāṃ dṛśyatāṃ mahābāhuḥ kṛtavarmāṇaṃ sva-rathe niveśya taṃ tūrṇaṃ yuddha-sthalād dūraṃ apāharat ||
Sañjaya sprach: Der Krieger mit den mächtigen Armen trug den ebenfalls mächtigarmigen Kṛtavarmā in größter Eile aus dem Kampfgetümmel selbst fort. Dann, vor den Augen der vollständig gerüsteten Bogenschützen, setzte er Kṛtavarmā auf seinen eigenen Wagen und zog ihn unverzüglich weit vom Schlachtfeld zurück — eine Tat des Schutzes aus Pflicht inmitten der unerbittlichen Forderungen des Krieges.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war’s violence, a warrior’s dharma includes protecting comrades and acting decisively to preserve life and fighting capacity; swift, responsible action can be ethically framed as loyalty and duty rather than mere retreat.
Sañjaya describes a warrior quickly removing Kṛtavarmā from immediate danger, placing him on his own chariot, and withdrawing him far from the battlefield, all in full view of armed archers.