Shloka 19
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya-saṃvādaḥ; madhyāhna-saṅgrāma-pravṛttiḥ
Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue and the midday battle escalation
स हताश्चादवप्लुत्य स्यन्दनाद्धतसारथि: । आरुरोह रथं तूर्ण पुत्रस्य रथिनां वर:,सारथि और घोड़ोंके मारे जानेपर रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ विराट अपने रथसे तुरंत कूद पड़े और पुत्रके रथपर आरूढ़ हो गये
sa hatāś cādavaplutya syandanād dhatasārathiḥ | āruroha rathaṃ tūrṇaṃ putrasya rathināṃ varaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: When his charioteer had been slain, Virāṭa—foremost among chariot-warriors—leapt down from his own chariot and, without hesitation, mounted his son’s chariot. In the midst of battle’s disorder, he chooses steadfast action and familial responsibility over despair, sustaining the fight despite sudden loss.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid sudden loss in war, a kṣatriya leader is expected to maintain steadiness and take decisive responsibility. Virāṭa’s immediate shift to his son’s chariot models resilience and duty-driven action rather than collapse into grief.
Sañjaya reports that after Virāṭa’s charioteer (and, by the Hindi gloss, the horses) are killed, Virāṭa jumps down from his own chariot and quickly mounts his son’s chariot to continue fighting.