Balarāma Humbles the Kurus and Rescues Sāmba
तं तु ते विरथं चक्रुश्चत्वारश्चतुरो हयान् । एकस्तु सारथिं जघ्ने चिच्छेदान्य: शरासनम् ॥ ११ ॥
taṁ tu te virathaṁ cakruś catvāraś caturo hayān ekas tu sārathiṁ jaghne cicchedaṇyaḥ śarāsanam
Mais ils le firent descendre de son char, le laissant sans char. Alors quatre d’entre eux abattirent ses quatre chevaux, l’un tua son cocher, et un autre brisa son arc.
Śālva is strategically disabled in battle—his horses are killed, his charioteer is slain, and his bow is cut, leaving him chariotless and weakened.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates these events to Mahārāja Parīkṣit as part of the account of Śālva’s attack on Dvārakā.
Even formidable threats can be neutralized step-by-step; the verse highlights focused action, discipline, and reliance on divine order rather than panic.