Shloka 26
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 95 — Sātyaki’s Breakthrough and the Routing of Allied Contingents
तयो: पदानुगान् हत्वा पुन: पञ्चाशतं रथान् | प्रत्यगाद् भारतीं सेनां निघ्नन् पार्थो वरान् वरान्,उन दोनोंके पीछे आनेवाले पचास रथियोंको मारकर अर्जुनने श्रेष्ठ-श्रेष्ठ वीरोंको चुन- चुनकर मारते हुए पुनः कौरव-सेनामें प्रवेश किया
tayor padānugān hatvā punaḥ pañcāśataṁ rathān | pratyagād bhāratīṁ senāṁ nighnan pārtho varān varān ||
Sañjaya said: Having slain the fifty chariot-warriors who were following in the wake of those two, Arjuna returned again into the Kaurava host, striking down—one after another—the finest of their champions.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a wartime ethic typical of the epic: a kṣatriya’s duty is framed as confronting and disabling the most dangerous opponents to protect one’s side. It also reflects the moral tension of battle—valor and duty expressed through targeted, strategic violence against foremost champions.
Arjuna kills fifty chariot-warriors who are pursuing behind “those two,” and then re-enters the Kaurava formation, continuing to cut down their leading fighters in succession.