Shloka 15
सर्वास्तृूणान् सायकानामवेक्ष्य किं शिष्ट स्थात् सायकानां रथे मे । का वा जाति: किं प्रमाणं च तेषां ज्ञात्वा व्यक्त तत् समाचक्ष्व सूत,(कति वा सहस्राणि कति वा शतानि ह्याचक्ष्व मे सारथे क्षिप्रमेव ।।
sañjaya uvāca | sarvāstrūṇān sāyakānām avekṣya kiṁ śiṣṭaṁ sthāt sāyakānāṁ rathe me | kā vā jātiḥ kiṁ pramāṇaṁ ca teṣāṁ jñātvā vyaktaṁ tat samācakṣva sūta | kati vā sahasrāṇi kati vā śatāni hy ācakṣva me sārathē kṣipram eva ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ô cocher, examine tous les carquois de flèches sur mon char et, après l’avoir établi avec précision, dis-moi clairement ce qu’il reste de flèches. Quelles sortes demeurent, et en quelle mesure ? Dis-le-moi sur-le-champ : combien de milliers et combien de centaines restent encore, ô conducteur.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights practical responsibility amid war: a leader must know the state of resources (arrows, weapons) and demand clear, timely reporting. Ethical weight lies in disciplined awareness—decisions in battle should be grounded in accurate knowledge rather than impulse.
In the midst of the fighting, Sanjaya addresses his charioteer and orders him to inspect the quivers on the chariot, then report precisely how many arrows remain—broken down by type and by count (thousands and hundreds)—and to do so immediately.