Shloka 24
Śalya–Bhīma Gadāyuddham (मद्रराज-भीमसेन गदायुद्धम्)
सौबलस्तु गदां गृहा प्रचस्कन्द रथोत्तमात् | स तस्य गदया राजन् रथात् सूतमपातयत्,यह देख सुबलपुत्र शकुनि गदा हाथमें लेकर उस श्रेष्ठ रथसे कूद पड़ा। राजन्! उसने अपनी गदाद्वारा सहदेवके रथसे उनके सारथिको मार गिराया
Saubalastu gadāṃ gṛhya praca-skanda rathottamāt | sa tasya gadayā rājan rathāt sūtam apātayat ||
Sañjaya said: Śakuni, the son of Subala, seizing his mace, leapt down from his excellent chariot. O King, with that mace he struck down the charioteer from Sahadeva’s chariot—an act that intensifies the battle’s cruelty by targeting the support that enables a warrior to fight, not merely the warrior himself.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war can slide from heroic contest into morally troubling tactics: striking down a charioteer targets the enabling support of a fighter rather than engaging the warrior directly, raising questions about dharma and restraint even amid battlefield necessity.
Sañjaya reports that Śakuni jumps from his chariot with a mace and uses it to knock down the charioteer of Sahadeva’s chariot, disrupting Sahadeva’s ability to fight effectively.