Shloka 326
भूरिश्रवसः गर्हा, प्रायोपवेशः, सात्यकिकृतशिरच्छेदः
Bhūriśravas’s Censure, Prāyopaveśa, and Sātyaki’s Beheading
निशितै: सायकैस्ती&णैर्यन्तारं चास्य पठचभि: । कृतवमनि सात्यकिपर तेज धारवाले छब्बीस तीखे बाण चलाये और पाँच बाणोंद्वारा उनके सारथिको भी घायल कर दिया
niśitaiḥ sāyakais tīkṣṇair yantāraṃ cāsya pañcabhiḥ | kṛtavarmāṇi sātyakiḥ prahṛṣṭas teja-dhāribhiḥ ṣaḍviṃśatyā tīkṣṇaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: With razor-sharp arrows, Sātyaki—exultant and blazing with martial energy—struck Kṛtavarmā with twenty-six keen shafts, and with five more he also wounded his charioteer. The scene underscores the relentless escalation of battle, where skill and fury drive warriors to disable both fighter and support, tightening the moral pressure of war upon all involved.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war intensifies beyond single combat: disabling the charioteer is a tactical act that can decide life and death. It brings forward the ethical strain within kṣatriya-dharma—victory pursued through skill and force, yet shadowed by the suffering inflicted on all participants, including supporting figures.
Sañjaya reports that Sātyaki shoots Kṛtavarmā with twenty-six sharp arrows and then strikes Kṛtavarmā’s charioteer with five arrows, impairing both the warrior and the control of his chariot.