Shloka 40
अध्याय ५३ — रणमेघोपमा सेना-वर्णना तथा सुषेण-वधोत्तर प्रतिक्रिया
Battle-as-Storm Imagery and the Aftermath of Suṣeṇa’s Fall
सारथिं चास्य तरसा प्राहिणोद् यमसादनम् | भल्लेन शितधारेण स हत: प्रापतद् रथात्
sārathiṁ cāsya tarasā prāhiṇod yamasādanam | bhallena śitadhāreṇa sa hataḥ prāpatad rathāt |
Sañjaya dit : D’un élan fulgurant, il envoya le cocher de cet homme au séjour de Yama, le frappant d’un bhalla au tranchant aigu. Abattu, le cocher tomba du char sur le champ de bataille—geste qui brise l’élan de l’adversaire en lui ôtant maîtrise et mouvement, au cœur de la rude loi de la guerre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark reality of war: death is ever-present and is poetically framed as being sent to Yama’s realm. It also reflects battlefield pragmatism—disabling an enemy’s chariot by killing the charioteer—within the harsh framework of kṣatriya conduct.
In the midst of combat, a warrior strikes the opponent’s charioteer with a sharp bhalla, killing him. The charioteer then falls from the chariot onto the battlefield, effectively checking the opponent’s movement and momentum.