Shloka 38
जयद्रथवधः — The Slaying of Jayadratha
Sunset Vow and Curse-Condition
ते पिबन्त इवाकाशं युयुधानं हयोत्तमा:
te pibanta ivākāśaṃ yuyudhānaṃ hayottamāḥ
Sañjaya dit : Les meilleurs chevaux, comme s’ils buvaient le ciel lui-même, emportèrent Yuyudhāna en avant ; leur charge fut si rapide et si puissante qu’elle semblait engloutir l’espace devant eux.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid simile—horses 'drinking the sky'—to convey overwhelming speed and force. Ethically, it hints at how power and momentum in war can seem to consume all space for deliberation, reminding readers that even dazzling prowess must be weighed against dharma and restraint.
Sañjaya describes Yuyudhāna’s advance in battle: he is carried by superb horses moving so swiftly that it appears they are swallowing the open sky ahead of them.