Shloka 4
अलंबलवधः (Alaṃbala-vadhaḥ) / The Slaying of Alaṃbala and the Advance toward Karṇa
तावेतौ रथिनां श्रेष्ठी रथाभ्यां रथसत्तमौ | उभावुभयतस्ती ६णैर्विशिखैरभ्यवर्षताम्,रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ वे दोनों महारथी दो दिशाओंसे आकर अर्जुनपर पैने बाणोंकी वर्षा करने लगे
tāvetau rathināṁ śreṣṭhī rathābhyāṁ rathasattamau | ubhāv ubhayatas tīkṣṇair viśikhair abhyavarṣatām ||
Sañjaya said: Those two—foremost among chariot-warriors, the best of the best—came forward in their chariots and, attacking from both sides, showered Arjuna with sharp arrows.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, excellence and coordinated strategy can intensify violence—two elite warriors attack from both sides. Implicitly, it points to the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical tension: even when combat is framed as duty, the reality of harm and relentless aggression remains morally weighty.
Sañjaya describes two top chariot-fighters advancing in their chariots and jointly assaulting Arjuna, striking from both directions and showering him with sharp arrows.