Shloka 26
Droṇa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna-yuddha (द्रोण-धृष्टद्युम्न-युद्धम्) — Tactical duel and allied interventions
सहदेवस्ततो वीरो दुर्मुखस्य महारणे । शरेण भृशतीक्ष्णेन पातयामास सारथिम्,तब वीरवर सहदेवने उस महायुद्धमें अत्यन्त तीखे बाणसे दुर्मुखके सारथिको मार गिराया
sahadevas tato vīro durmukhasya mahāraṇe | śareṇa bhṛśatīkṣṇena pātayāmāsa sārathim |
Sañjaya said: Then the valiant Sahadeva, in that great battle, struck down Durmukha’s charioteer with an exceedingly sharp arrow.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the strategic and morally weighty nature of battlefield action: a warrior may target an opponent’s support (here, the charioteer) to neutralize threat and gain advantage, reflecting the severe demands of kṣatriya-duty in war while reminding the listener of the ethical gravity inherent in such acts.
Sañjaya reports that Sahadeva, fighting in the great Kurukṣetra battle, shoots a very sharp arrow and brings down Durmukha’s charioteer, thereby impairing Durmukha’s chariot and combat effectiveness.