Shloka 15
अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
रथादाधिरथिरनूनं न्यपतत् सायकार्दित:
rathād ādhirathir anūnaṃ nyapatat sāyakārditaḥ
बाणों से विद्ध और विदीर्ण होकर अधिरथपुत्र (कर्ण) निश्चय ही रथ से नीचे गिर पड़ा; वह मानो प्राणहीन-सा हो गया।
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the brutal impartiality of war: even essential supporters like charioteers are vulnerable. It implicitly highlights the ethical cost of conflict—how violence spreads beyond principal warriors and brings suffering to all who are involved.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reports a battlefield moment: a charioteer referred to as Ādhirathi is struck by arrows and falls from the chariot, suggesting he has been incapacitated or killed, marking a sudden turn in the immediate combat scene.