Shloka 11
अलंबलवधः (Alaṃbala-vadhaḥ) / The Slaying of Alaṃbala and the Advance toward Karṇa
तस्मिन् भग्ने महाराज कृपे शारद्वते युधि । अश्वत्थामाप्यपायासीत् पाण्डवेयाद् रथान्तरम्,महाराज! युद्धस्थलमें शरद्वानके पुत्र कृपाचार्यके अचेत होकर वहाँसे हट जानेपर अश्वत्थामा भी अर्जुनको छोड़कर दूसरे किसी रथीका सामना करनेके लिये चला गया
tasmin bhagne mahārāja kṛpe śāradvate yudhi | aśvatthāmāpy apāyāsīt pāṇḍaveyād rathāntaram ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, when Kṛpa, the son of Śaradvat, was routed in that battle and withdrew from the fight, Aśvatthāmā too turned away—leaving the Pāṇḍava warrior (Arjuna)—and went off to engage another chariot-fighter. The verse underscores the shifting loyalties and tactical withdrawals that occur in war, where even renowned warriors may retreat or redirect their combat when the field’s momentum changes.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a realistic ethical tension in warfare: even celebrated warriors may withdraw or change targets when circumstances shift. It points to the role of battlefield momentum and morale—retreat can be tactical rather than purely cowardly—yet it also shows how quickly alliances and confrontations can reconfigure, affecting the broader dharmic stakes of the war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Kṛpācārya (Śaradvat’s son) was driven back and left the fight. Seeing this, Aśvatthāmā also disengaged, turning away from the Pāṇḍava warrior (understood here as Arjuna) and moving to challenge a different chariot-warrior elsewhere on the battlefield.