Shloka 24
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
ततो<5परेण ज्वलनार्कतेजसा क्षुरेण राज्ञो धनुरुन्ममाथ । कृपश्च तस्यैव जघान सूतं षड्भि: शरै: सोडभिमुख: पपात,इसके बाद अग्नि और सूर्यके समान तेजस्वी क्षुरके द्वारा उन्होंने राजा युधिष्ठिरके धनुषको मथित कर दिया। फिर कृपाचार्यने भी छ: बाणोंसे उन्हींके सारथिको मार डाला। सारथि उनके सामने ही पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा
tato 'pareṇa jvalanārkatejasā kṣureṇa rājño dhanur unmamātha | kṛpaś ca tasyaiva jaghāna sūtaṃ ṣaḍbhiḥ śaraiḥ so 'bhimukhaḥ papāta ||
Kemudian, dengan anak panah setajam silet yang menyala bagaikan api dan matahari, ia menghancurkan busur Raja Yudhiṣṭhira. Lalu Kṛpa pun menewaskan sais raja itu dengan enam anak panah; sang kusir jatuh ke tanah tepat di hadapannya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war often targets a warrior’s capacity to fight—weapon and support system—rather than only the warrior himself. Ethically, it raises the tension between battlefield expediency and the ideal of righteous combat, showing how quickly dignity and security collapse amid violence.
In Sañjaya’s report, an opponent uses a blazing, razor-like arrow to break King Yudhiṣṭhira’s bow. Immediately after, Kṛpācārya shoots Yudhiṣṭhira’s charioteer with six arrows, and the charioteer falls in front of the king, leaving him suddenly disadvantaged.