Mahabharata (Gita Press) 3.21.4 - Vana Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 4
Dvārakā’s Distress and the Saubha Engagement (द्वारकाव्यग्रता तथा सौभयुद्धम्)
तत:ः शतसहस्तरेण शराणां नतपर्वणाम् । दारुकं वाजिनश्लैव रथं च समवाकिरत्,तदनन्तर शाल्वने झुकी हुई गाँठोंवाले लाखों बाणोंका प्रहार करके मेरे सारथि दारुक, घोड़ों तथा रथको आच्छादित कर दिया
tataḥ śata-sahasreṇa śarāṇāṃ nataparvaṇām | dārukaṃ vājinaś caiva rathaṃ ca samavākirat |
Then, with a hundred thousand arrows whose joints were bent—barbed and hard to draw out—he showered them down, completely covering Dāruka, the horses, and the chariot.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of warfare where even non-combat supports (charioteer, horses, chariot) are endangered, testing a warrior’s steadiness and discernment about righteous conduct amid escalating violence.
A combatant unleashes an immense volley—‘a hundred thousand’ barbed arrows—so dense that it blankets Dāruka, the horses, and the chariot, momentarily overwhelming the chariot-team in the battle.
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