Shloka 45
Irāvān-nidhana-anantaraṃ Ghaṭotkaca-nādaḥ
After Irāvān’s fall: Ghaṭotkaca’s roar and the clash with Duryodhana
चोदयाश्वान् हृषीकेश यत्रैते बहुला रथा:,“हृषीकेश! जहाँ ये बहुत-से रथ जा रहे हैं, उधर ही अपने घोड़ोंको हाँकिये। माधव! ये अस्त्र-विद्याके विद्वान् तथा रण-दुर्मद बहुसंख्यक शूरवीर जिस प्रकार हमारी सेनाका विनाश न कर सकें, उसी तरह इस रथको वहाँ ले चलिये”
sañjaya uvāca | codayāśvān hṛṣīkeśa yatraite bahulā rathāḥ | mādhava ime 'stravidyā-vidaḥ raṇa-durmadā bahusaṅkhyakāḥ śūrāḥ yathā asmākam senāyā vināśaṃ na kuryuḥ tathā etad rathaṃ tatraiva nayasva ||
Sanjaya said: “O Hrishikesha, drive the horses toward the place where many chariots are moving. O Madhava, take this chariot there in such a way that these numerous heroes—masters of weapon-lore and intoxicated with battle—may not bring about the destruction of our army.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds battlefield prudence and responsible command: even amid war, a leader seeks to prevent needless destruction of one’s forces by positioning and movement, relying on disciplined action rather than reckless bravado.
Sanjaya reports an instruction addressed to Krishna (as Hrishikesha/Madhava) to drive the chariot toward the dense movement of chariots, with the strategic aim of countering numerous, weapon-skilled, battle-proud warriors so they do not devastate the speaker’s army.