Shloka 22
Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)
अश्वैरग्रयजवै: केचिदाप्लुत्य महतो रथान् | शिरांस्याददिरे वीरा रथिनामश्वसादिन:,कितने ही वीर घुड़सवार शीघ्रगामी अभश्वोंद्वारा धावा करके बड़े-बड़े रथोंपर कूद पड़ते और रथियोंके मस्तक काट लेते थे
aśvair agrayajavaiḥ kecid āplutya mahato rathān | śirāṃsy ādadire vīrā rathinām aśvasādinaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Some heroic horsemen, mounted on swift and excellent steeds, would leap up onto the great chariots and cut off the heads of the chariot-warriors.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse does not teach a moral precept directly; it depicts the extreme ferocity and skill of warriors in Kurukṣetra. Ethically, it reflects the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare where valor and tactical prowess operate within the accepted norms of battle, even when the acts are brutal.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where swift horsemen charge, leap onto large chariots, and behead the chariot-fighters—an image of close combat and tactical daring amid the chaos of war.