Shloka 19
रथिनं च हयारोह: प्रासेन भरतर्षभ । पातयामास समरे रथी च हयसादिनम्,भरतश्रेष्ठ! उस संग्राममें घुड़सवार रथीको तथा रथी घुड़सवारको प्रासद्वारा मारकर धराशायी कर देता था
rathinaṃ ca hayārohaḥ prāsena bharatarṣabha | pātayāmāsa samare rathī ca hayasādinam ||
Sañjaya said: O bull among the Bharatas, in that battle the horseman struck down the charioteer with a spear, and the chariot-warrior in turn felled the mounted horseman. Thus, amid the clash of arms, each combatant met the other with equal resolve, showing how swiftly violence rebounds upon violence in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh reciprocity of warfare: in the arena of kṣatriya combat, violence quickly returns in kind, reminding the listener that battle magnifies consequences and leaves little room for hesitation or moral comfort.
Sañjaya reports a specific exchange on the battlefield: a mounted horseman brings down a chariot-warrior with a spear, and the chariot-warrior likewise fells the horseman—depicting rapid, mutual takedowns amid the larger Kurukṣetra war.