Shloka 48
कृपश्च कृतवर्मा च प्रययौ यत्र सौबल: । रथानीकं परित्यज्य शूरा: सुदृढ्धन्विन:,उनकी बात सुनकर महाबली अअश्वत्थामा, कृपाचार्य और कृतवर्मा-ये सभी दृढ़ धनुर्धर शूरवीर पांचालराजकी उस दु:सह सेनाका व्यूह तोड़कर, रथसेनाका परित्याग करके जहाँ शकुनि था, वहीं जा पहुँचे
kṛpaś ca kṛtavarmā ca prayayau yatra saubalaḥ | rathānīkaṃ parityajya śūrāḥ sudṛḍha-dhanvinaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Kṛpa and Kṛtavarmā—heroic warriors of unbending bows—abandoned the chariot-division and went to the place where Saubala (Śakuni) was. In the rush of battle, this signaled a tactical withdrawal from one formation to regroup with a key leader—an act compelled by war’s necessity rather than personal glory, reflecting the grim pragmatism that rules the war’s late hours.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of subordinating personal display to collective necessity: seasoned warriors may abandon a formation to regroup with a crucial leader, showing that in war, survival and coordination often override individual valor.
Sañjaya reports that Kṛpa and Kṛtavarmā leave the chariot-division and move to where Śakuni (Saubala) is positioned, indicating a tactical shift or regrouping amid the ongoing battle.