Shloka 83
द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa
छादयामास स शरैस्तव पुत्रस्य पश्यत: । संछाद्यमान: समरे हताश्चो हतसारथि:
chādayāmāsa sa śaraistava putrasya paśyataḥ | saṃchādyamānaḥ samare hatāśco hatasārathiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Sous les yeux mêmes de ton fils, il couvrit ce guerrier d’une pluie de flèches. Au cœur de la mêlée, l’homme—accablé et cerné par ces traits—demeura abattu ; son cocher était déjà tombé, et sa force de combat brisée.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how swiftly fortune turns in war: when support systems (like a charioteer) collapse, even a capable fighter can lose morale and effectiveness. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning that pride in power is fragile and that consequences unfold publicly—before allies and leaders who must answer for the war they sustain.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior is being overwhelmed by a dense volley of arrows right in front of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son. The target becomes demoralized in the fight, and his chariot is compromised because his charioteer has been killed, leaving him at a severe tactical disadvantage.