Shloka 283
भूरिश्रवसः गर्हा, प्रायोपवेशः, सात्यकिकृतशिरच्छेदः
Bhūriśravas’s Censure, Prāyopaveśa, and Sātyaki’s Beheading
युयुधानो महाराज यन्तारमिदमब्रवीत् | महाराज! मुँह बाये हुए कालके समान कृतवर्माको वहाँ आते देख युयुधानने अपने सारथिसे कहा--
yuyudhāno mahārāja yantāram idam abravīt | mahārāja! mukhaṃ vāye huye kālaka-samānaṃ kṛtavarmāṇaṃ tatra āyāntaṃ dṛṣṭvā yuyudhānena sva-sārathaye uktam—
Sañjaya said: “O King, Yuyudhāna spoke these words to his charioteer. Seeing Kṛtavarmā approaching there—his face turned askew, resembling Death itself—Yuyudhāna addressed his driver.” The narration underscores how, in the chaos of war, a warrior reads omens in an opponent’s bearing and prepares his own action accordingly.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights battlefield discernment and readiness: a warrior interprets an opponent’s demeanor as a sign of lethal intent and responds by directing his charioteer. Ethically, it reflects the kṣatriya context where alertness, courage, and swift decision-making are treated as duties amid the moral gravity of war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Yuyudhāna (Sātyaki), upon seeing Kṛtavarmā advancing with a grim, deathlike appearance, speaks to his charioteer—setting up the next tactical or combative action in the ongoing battle of Droṇa Parva.