Shloka 88
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
ततः शारद्वत: षडडश्नि: प्रत्यविद्धयद् युधिष्ठिरम् । विव्याध चाश्वान्निशितैस्तस्याष्टाभि: शिलीमुखै:
tataḥ śāradvataḥ ṣaḍbhiḥ pratyaviddhayad yudhiṣṭhiram | vivyādha cāśvān niśitais tasyāṣṭābhiḥ śilīmukhaiḥ ||
Entonces Śāradvata (Kṛpa) hirió al rey Yudhiṣṭhira con seis flechas. Y con ocho saetas agudas, semejantes a cañas, atravesó también los caballos de Yudhiṣṭhira—acto que, en la áspera ética del combate, no apunta sólo al guerrero, sino a inutilizar su movilidad y su mando en medio de la guerra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim realism of kṣatriya warfare: victory often depends on disabling an opponent’s capacity to fight (including striking horses), raising ethical tension between martial necessity and ideals of restraint.
Sañjaya reports that Kṛpa (Śāradvata) shoots Yudhiṣṭhira with six arrows and then wounds Yudhiṣṭhira’s horses with eight sharp śilīmukha arrows, aiming to weaken his position in the battle.