Shloka 5
Kṛtavarmā–Sātyaki Chariot Duel and Kaurava Morale Shock (कृतवर्म-सात्यकि-द्वैरथम्)
ततः शरान् वै सृजतो महारणे योधांश्व राजन् नयतो यमालयम्
tataḥ śarān vai sṛjato mahāraṇe yodhāṁś ca rājan nayato yamālayam
Kemudian, wahai Raja, di medan laga besar itu, sambil terus-menerus melepaskan anak panah, ia menggiring para kesatria ke kediaman Yama—mengantar mereka kepada maut di tengah benturan yang tak henti.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim moral weight of war: martial prowess and duty, when enacted in battle, inevitably culminate in death. It frames killing not as triumph but as sending beings to Yama’s realm, reminding the listener of consequence and impermanence.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, in the thick of the great battle, a warrior (implied from context) is continuously shooting arrows and thereby causing many fighters to fall—metaphorically ‘leading’ them to Yama’s abode.