Shloka 53
Arjuna’s Concentrated Archery and the Rout of the Kaurava Mahārathas
Gāṇḍīva-Nirghoṣa Episode
प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्य मण्डलं सव्यमेव च । अश्वविद्यामें प्रवीण विराटपुत्रने पहले कौरवसेनाके समीप जाकर उन वायुके समान वेगशाली घोड़ोंको पुनः लौटाया और दाँयीं ओरसे घुमाकर बाँयीं ओर बढ़ा दिया
pradakṣiṇam upāvṛtya maṇḍalaṃ savyam eva ca |
Vaiśampāyana said: Having wheeled about to the right and also formed a leftward circuit, the prince of Virāṭa—skilled in the science of horses—first approached the Kaurava host, returned those wind-swift steeds again, and, turning them from the right, drove them onward to the left.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that battlefield success depends on disciplined technique and mental steadiness. Martial prowess (especially horsemanship and turning maneuvers) is ethically framed as controlled courage—skill used with awareness rather than impulsive aggression.
The prince of Virāṭa, expert in horsemanship, rides up near the Kaurava forces, brings the swift horses back under control, and executes a tactical turn—circling and redirecting the team from right to left—indicating a deliberate maneuver in the midst of combat movement.