Shloka 20
Śaineya–Bhūriśravas: Genealogy, Svayaṃvara Contest, and the Maheśvara Boon
ततः शक्ति गृहीत्वा तु रुक्मदण्डामयस्मयीम् । तरसा प्रेषयामास माधवस्य रथं प्रति,उन्होंने सोनेकी डंडेवाली लोहेकी शक्ति लेकर उसे सात्यकिके रथपर बड़े वेगसे चलाया
tataḥ śaktiṃ gṛhītvā tu rukmadaṇḍām ayasmayīm | tarasā preṣayāmāsa mādhavasya rathaṃ prati ||
Sañjaya said: Then, taking up a spear (śakti) made of iron and fitted with a golden shaft, he hurled it with great force toward Mādhava’s chariot.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in war, intent and method matter: targeting a chariot with a powerful missile reflects the drive to incapacitate and overwhelm. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such intensification of violence becomes a test of dharma—whether power is exercised with restraint or with destructive single-mindedness.
Sañjaya narrates that a warrior takes an iron spear with a golden shaft and hurls it at Mādhava’s chariot. The action signals a direct attempt to strike or disable the chariot associated with Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava), heightening the immediate danger on the battlefield.