Shloka 20
चेकितानस्तु वार्ष्णेयो गौतमं रथिनां वरम् | प्रेक्षतां सर्वसैन्यानां छादयामास सायकै:,उधर वृष्णिवंशी चेकितानने रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ कृपाचार्यको सब सेनाओंके देखते-देखते अपने सायकोंसे आच्छादित कर दिया
cekitānas tu vārṣṇeyo gautamaṁ rathināṁ varam | prekṣatāṁ sarvasainyānāṁ chādayāmāsa sāyakaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Cekitāna of the Vṛṣṇi line, before the eyes of all the armies, covered Gautama—Kṛpācārya, foremost among chariot-warriors—with a shower of arrows. Thus does war’s relentless code make even revered elders and teachers a target when they stand as combatants on the field.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the hard edge of kṣatriya-dharma in war: personal reverence for elders or teachers does not override battlefield duty once they stand as armed opponents. It also reflects the epic’s ethical tension—honor and respect persist, yet combat compels forceful action.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where Cekitāna, a Vṛṣṇi warrior, unleashes a dense volley of arrows that ‘covers’ Kṛpācārya (called the Gautama), renowned as a foremost chariot-fighter, in full view of both armies.