Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 8
Nakula’s Engagement with Citra-sena and Karṇa’s Sons; Śalya Re-stabilizes the Kaurava Host
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत शल्यपर्वमें व्यू-निर्माणविषयक आठवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
nāgān rathavarāṁś ca vānye parivārya mahārathāḥ | sāntarāyodhināṁ jaghnuḥ dravamāṇaṁ mahāratham ||
Sañjaya said: Then other great warriors surrounded elephants and the finest chariot-fighters; and, pressing through the intervening combatants, they struck down a fleeing mahāratha.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh logic of war: once the battle surges, even a great warrior who flees becomes vulnerable to encirclement and death. It invites reflection on kshatriya-dharma and how battlefield necessity can pressure or distort ideals of fair combat.
Sanjaya describes a tactical moment where other mahārathas surround war-elephants and elite chariot-fighters, then cut down a fleeing great warrior despite intervening fighters—showing coordinated pursuit and the collapse of safety in retreat.