Shloka 26

Devanagari script

चक्रेण चक्रमासाद्य वीरो वीरस्य संयुगे

Transliteration

cakreṇa cakram āsādya vīro vīrasya saṃyuge

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Di tengah pertempuran, sang kesatria menubruk roda kereta sang kesatria lawan dengan rodanya sendiri—bertarung pada jarak sedekat-dekatnya, seakan menguji kekuatan dan keteguhan secara berhadapan di tengah hiruk-pikuk perang.

Word by Word

चक्रेणwith a discus/wheel

चक्रम्the discus/wheel

आसाद्यhaving reached/attacked/encountered

वीरःthe hero/warrior

वीरस्यof the hero/warrior

संयुगेin battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

chariot-wheel (cakra)

battle/combat (saṃyuga)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line highlights the kṣatriya ideal of meeting an equal opponent directly and fearlessly; even the imagery of wheel-to-wheel contact suggests steadfastness, resolve, and the ethical demand to stand one’s ground in a righteous contest.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a close-quarters moment in the chariot battle where one warrior drives in so near that his chariot-wheel meets the other’s wheel—signaling an intense engagement between two valiant fighters.