Shloka 55
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 95 — Sātyaki’s Breakthrough and the Routing of Allied Contingents
सवाजिरथमातज्न् निध्नन् व्यचरदर्जुन:
savājiratham ātajñān nidhnan vyacarad arjunaḥ
Sañjaya said: Arjuna moved about the battlefield, striking down the enemy’s chariots together with their horses and charioteers—an image of relentless martial resolve in which the instruments of violence and those who wield them are simultaneously brought to ruin.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare: when duty is pursued through battle, the destruction extends beyond individuals to the entire apparatus of violence. It invites reflection on responsibility and the ethical weight of martial action even when undertaken as dharma.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna is ranging across the field and cutting down enemy chariot-units—horses, chariots, and the missile-fighters associated with them—signaling Arjuna’s dominance in that phase of the fight.