Shloka 15
अर्जुनस्योत्तरदिग्विजयः
Arjuna’s Northern Conquests and Tribute Collection
यः स सोदर्यवान् नाम द्वियोधी कृष्णसारथि: । अभ्यासघाती संदृश्यो दुर्जय: सर्वराजभि:
yaḥ sa sodaryavān nāma dviyodhī kṛṣṇasārathiḥ | abhyāsaghātī saṃdṛśyo durjayaḥ sarvarājabhiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: That chariot, named Sodaryavān, was built for two great warriors to fight together; at that time Śrī Kṛṣṇa himself served as its charioteer. It was fashioned for repeated, well-practised strikes against the enemy, splendid to behold, and—before all kings—virtually unconquerable.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that victory in royal warfare is not merely brute force: disciplined practice (abhyāsa), superior means (a specialized chariot), and exemplary leadership (Kṛṣṇa as sārathi) together create an almost unassailable advantage—implying that preparedness and right guidance are ethically weighty factors in conflict.
Vaiśampāyana describes a renowned chariot called Sodaryavān: it can carry two warriors for combat, Kṛṣṇa is serving as its charioteer, it enables repeated effective blows, looks magnificent, and is considered difficult for any king to defeat.