Shloka 37
भूरिश्रवास्तु समरे धृष्टकेतुं महारथम् । हतसूतहयं चक्रे विरथं सायकोत्तमै:,तब भूरिश्रवाने समरभूमिमें उत्तम सायकोंद्वारा महारथी धृष्टकेतुके घोड़ों और सारथिको मारकर उन्हें रथहीन कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
bhūriśravāstu samare dhṛṣṭaketuṃ mahāratham |
hatasūtahayaṃ cakre virathaṃ sāyakottamaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Bhūriśravā struck down Dhṛṣṭaketu’s charioteer and horses with superb arrows, thereby rendering that great chariot-warrior chariotless. The episode underscores the ruthless mechanics of war: disabling an opponent’s mobility and support becomes a decisive, if grim, tactic on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield reality within kṣatriya-dharma: victory often comes by disabling an enemy’s means of fighting—here, by killing the charioteer and horses—showing how strategy and force intertwine, even when the outcome is ethically harsh.
Sañjaya reports that Bhūriśravā attacks Dhṛṣṭaketu and, using superior arrows, kills Dhṛṣṭaketu’s charioteer and horses, leaving him without a chariot (viratha), thus placing him at a severe tactical disadvantage.