Shloka 593
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
षट्साहसेहयै: शिष्टेरपायाच्छान्तवाहनम् | इसी प्रकार खूनसे नहायी हुई पाण्डव-सेना भी शेष छः: हजार घुड़सवारोंके साथ युद्धसे निवृत्त हो गयी। उसके सारे वाहन थक गये थे
ṣaṭsāhasaiḥ hayaiḥ śiṣṭeḥ apāyāc chāntavāhanam |
Sanjaya berkata: Dengan hanya enam ribu pasukan berkuda yang tersisa, bala itu mundur dari pertempuran; seluruh tunggangannya telah letih. Demikian pula pasukan Pāṇḍava—bermandi darah—menarik diri dari laga bersama sisa enam ribu kavaleri, ketika lelah menimpa manusia dan tunggangan tanpa beda.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a war driven by vows and strategy, physical limits assert themselves: fatigue, loss, and the blood-soaked reality of combat force withdrawal. The passage underscores the human and ethical cost of violence—victory is never untouched by suffering.
Sañjaya reports that after heavy fighting, only six thousand cavalry remain with the force being described, and it retreats as its mounts and conveyances are exhausted. Likewise, the Pāṇḍava army—drenched in blood—also disengages from battle with its remaining six thousand horsemen.