Shloka 22
अध्याय ५३ — रणमेघोपमा सेना-वर्णना तथा सुषेण-वधोत्तर प्रतिक्रिया
Battle-as-Storm Imagery and the Aftermath of Suṣeṇa’s Fall
विकिरन ब्राह्मण युद्धे बहुभिर्निशितै: शरै: । अभ्यापतदमेयात्मा गौतमस्य रथं प्रति
vikiran brāhmaṇaṃ yuddhe bahubhir niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | abhyāpatad ameyātmā gautamasya rathaṃ prati ||
Sañjaya said: “Showering the Brāhmaṇa (Kṛpācārya) in the battle with many keen arrows, the warrior of immeasurable spirit rushed forward toward the chariot of Gautama.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh ethical tension of war: even a revered Brahmin-teacher like Kṛpa becomes a legitimate battlefield opponent when he takes up arms. It points to kṣatriya-dharma—engaging decisively in combat—while implicitly reminding that true prowess includes discipline and adherence to the rules of battle.
Sañjaya describes a warrior of immense resolve advancing on Kṛpa’s chariot, covering him with a dense shower of sharp arrows. The action signals a direct challenge and an intensification of the duel around Kṛpa’s position.