Shloka 493
द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa
अतिष्ठद् रथमार्गेषु सैन्धवं प्रतिपालयन् । वे दस बाणोंसे अर्जुनको और सातसे श्रीकृष्णको घायल करके रथके मार्गोपर जयद्रथकी रक्षा करते हुए खड़े थे
sañjaya uvāca | atiṣṭhad rathamārgeṣu saindhavaṁ pratipālayan | daśa bāṇaiḥ arjunaṁ ca sapta ca śrīkṛṣṇaṁ ghātayitvā rathamārgeṣu jayadrathasya rakṣārthaṁ sthitaḥ ||
Sanjaya said: Stationing himself along the paths of the chariots, the Sindhu prince stood guard over Jayadratha. Having struck Arjuna with ten arrows and Śrī Kṛṣṇa with seven, he remained posted on the chariot-routes to protect Jayadratha—an act that shows how, in war, loyalty to one’s side can harden into the single-minded duty of shielding a key ally, even at the cost of escalating violence against the righteous.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the wartime tension between duty to one’s faction and the broader demands of dharma: strategic loyalty and protection of an ally can become a consuming obligation, intensifying violence even against exemplary figures like Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa.
A warrior aligned with Jayadratha positions himself on the chariot-routes to prevent access and ensure Jayadratha’s safety, after shooting Arjuna with ten arrows and Śrī Kṛṣṇa with seven, thereby reinforcing a defensive cordon in the battle.