Shloka 33
Virāṭa’s Conciliation and Uttara’s Account of the Unseen Champion
Bṛhannadā/Arjuna
पाण्डवेन हता: शूरा भीष्मस्य रथरक्षिण: । शेरते सम तदा राजन् कौन्तेयस्याभितो रथम्,राजन! भीष्मके रथकी रक्षा करनेवाले शूरवीर सैनिक अर्जुनके द्वारा मारे जाकर उनके रथके दोनों ओर पड़े थे
pāṇḍavena hatāḥ śūrā bhīṣmasya ratharakṣiṇaḥ | śerate sma tadā rājan kaunteyasyābhito ratham ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O King, the valiant warriors who served as Bhīṣma’s chariot-guards were slain by the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna). At that time they lay strewn all around the chariot of Kuntī’s son—an image of how martial duty and loyalty, when bound to a doomed cause, meet their end before superior skill and resolve in battle.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark outcome of warfare: even brave and dutiful protectors fall when confronted by superior prowess and circumstance. It underscores the tension between loyalty to one’s commander and the inexorable consequences of battle.
Vaiśampāyana narrates to King Janamejaya that Arjuna has slain the warriors guarding Bhīṣma’s chariot, and their bodies lie scattered around Arjuna’s chariot, marking Arjuna’s dominance in that encounter.