Shloka 62
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
हयांश्व तेषां निर्भिद्य सारथींश्षु परंतप । शरैश्वैतान् समाकीर्य प्रायाच्छल्यरथं प्रति
hayāṁś ca teṣāṁ nirbhidya sārathīṁś ca parantapa | śaraiś caitān samākīrya prāyāc chalyarathaṁ prati ||
Sañjaya said: O scorcher of foes, having pierced their horses and charioteers, and then showering them with arrows so that their bodies were studded with shafts, Śveta charged straight toward Śalya’s chariot.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim mechanics of righteous warfare (kṣatriya-dharma): victory is pursued through tactical disabling of the enemy’s chariot-force (horses and charioteer), yet the narrative also implicitly foregrounds the ethical burden of such necessary brutality in war.
Sañjaya describes Śveta’s assault: he pierces the opposing side’s horses and charioteers, showers the warriors with arrows, and then advances to engage Śalya directly by charging toward Śalya’s chariot.