Shloka 8
स रश्मिषु विषक्तत्वादुत्ससर्ज शरासनम् | धनुषा कर्म कुर्वस्तु रश्मींश्ष॒ पुनरुत्सूजत्,दुःशासन जब घोड़ोंकी रास सँभालने लगता तो धनुष छोड़ देता और जब धनुषसे काम लेता तो विवश होकर घोड़ोंकी रास छोड़ देता था
sa raśmiṣu viṣaktatvād utsasarja śarāsanam | dhanuṣā karma kurvans tu raśmīṁś ca punar utsṛjat ||
Sañjaya said: Because he was entangled with the reins, he let go of his bow; and when he tried to act with the bow, he was compelled to release the reins again. Thus, in the press of battle, he could not properly manage both the horses and the weapon at once.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a practical ethical lesson within war: effectiveness and responsibility require steadiness and undivided attention. When one is forced into conflicting tasks without proper support, even skill becomes ineffective—showing how disorder and pressure can defeat capability.
Sañjaya describes a warrior’s difficulty on the battlefield: when he grips the horses’ reins he must drop the bow, and when he uses the bow he ends up releasing the reins. The scene conveys the chaos of combat and the tactical disadvantage of being unable to control both chariot and weapon simultaneously.