Shloka 473
Śiva’s Battlefield Manifestation and Vyāsa’s Śatarudrīya Exposition (शिवप्रादुर्भावः शतरुद्रीयव्याख्यानम्)
सारथिं पजञ्चभिर्बाणै राजन् विव्याध संयुगे । राजन! तत्पश्चात द्रोणने युद्धस्थलमें धृष्टद्युम्मको सात बाणोंसे बींधकर उनके सारथिको पाँच बाँणोंसे घायल कर दिया
sārathiṁ pañcabhir bāṇai rājann vivyādha saṁyuge |
Sañjaya said: O King, in the thick of battle he pierced the charioteer with five arrows. The episode underscores how, in the fury of war, combatants strike not only the principal warrior but also the supporting agents of warfare—revealing the grim ethical tension between martial necessity and the broader ideal of righteous conduct.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral strain of warfare: tactical success often involves disabling the enemy’s support system (like the charioteer), even though such acts can feel ethically troubling when measured against ideals of restraint and righteous conduct.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, during the battle, a warrior wounds the opposing charioteer with five arrows—an action meant to impair the enemy’s mobility and effectiveness in combat.