Shloka 14
अस्त्रयुद्धे द्रौणिपार्थसंघर्षः — Karṇa’s Bhārgavāstra and the Search for Yudhiṣṭhira
Chapter 45
चतुस्त्रिंशत्सहस्रनाणि रथानामनिवर्तिनाम् | संशप्तका युद्धशौण्डा वाम॑ पार्श्वरपालयन्
catuḥstriṁśatsahasrāṇi rathānām anivartinām | saṁśaptakā yuddhaśauṇḍā vām̐ pārśvarapālayan
Sañjaya said: Thirty-four thousand chariots of unretreating warriors—the Saṁśaptakas, fierce and battle-proud—were guarding the left flank.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined steadfastness in the performance of assigned duty: in war, those known for not retreating are stationed to protect a flank, showing how resolve and commitment (often reinforced by vows) are treated as strategic and moral resources—though deployed within a tragic, ethically complex conflict.
Sanjaya describes the battlefield disposition: a large contingent—thirty-four thousand chariot forces identified as the Saṁśaptakas—are placed to guard the left side of the army, emphasizing their reputation for fierce, unyielding combat.