Shloka 26
Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
तस्मिन् सात्यकिना वीरे द्वैरथे विरथीकृते
tasmin sātyakinā vīre dvairathe virathīkṛte
Sañjaya said: When that heroic warrior, fighting from his chariot, was stripped of his chariot by Sātyaki and made a chariotless fighter, the balance of battle shifted—showing how, in war, prowess and strategy can in an instant take from a man the very means by which he upholds his station and honor on the field.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of martial advantage: a warrior’s status and effectiveness in battle can depend on external supports (like a chariot), and skillful action can abruptly remove those supports—testing composure, duty, and honor under sudden reversal.
Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki has rendered a heroic chariot-fighter ‘chariotless’—either by disabling the chariot or forcing the warrior off it—marking a decisive moment in the ongoing combat.