Shloka 4
अलंबलवधः (Alaṃbala-vadhaḥ) / The Slaying of Alaṃbala and the Advance toward Karṇa
तावेतौ रथिनां श्रेष्ठी रथाभ्यां रथसत्तमौ | उभावुभयतस्ती ६णैर्विशिखैरभ्यवर्षताम्,रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ वे दोनों महारथी दो दिशाओंसे आकर अर्जुनपर पैने बाणोंकी वर्षा करने लगे
tāvetau rathināṁ śreṣṭhī rathābhyāṁ rathasattamau | ubhāv ubhayatas tīkṣṇair viśikhair abhyavarṣatām ||
Sañjaya said: Those two—foremost among chariot-warriors, the best of the best—came forward in their chariots and, attacking from both sides, showered Arjuna with sharp arrows. The scene underscores the relentless pressure of battle, where prowess and strategy converge, even as the moral weight of violence continues to hang over every act on the field.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, excellence and coordinated strategy can intensify violence—two elite warriors attack from both sides. Implicitly, it points to the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical tension: even when combat is framed as duty, the reality of harm and relentless aggression remains morally weighty.
Sañjaya describes two top chariot-fighters advancing in their chariots and jointly assaulting Arjuna, striking from both directions and showering him with sharp arrows.