Shloka 6
द्रोणविक्रमदर्शनम् / The Display of Droṇa’s Onslaught and the Debate on Pāṇḍava Regrouping
तथास्य सारथे: पठ्च शरान् सर्पविषोपमान् | अमुञ्चदन्तकप्रख्यान् सम्मुमोहास्य सारथि:,फिर उनके सारथिपर सर्पविष एवं यमराजके समान भयंकर पाँच बाणोंका प्रहार किया। उन बाणोंकी चोटसे द्रोणाचार्यका सारथि मूर्च्छित हो गया
tathāsya sārathiḥ pañca śarān sarpaviṣopamān | amuñcad antakaprakhyān sammumohāsya sārathiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then he discharged five arrows at his charioteer—arrows like serpent-poison, dreadful as Death itself. Struck by them, that charioteer fell into a swoon. The passage underscores how, in the frenzy of battle, the violence meant for a warrior often devastates those who serve beside him, revealing the war’s indiscriminate and ethically troubling reach.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral cost of war: even when the target is a combatant, the suffering often falls upon attendants and non-primary participants (like charioteers). The imagery of poison and Death stresses how quickly violence overwhelms human agency and compassion.
In the midst of battle, a warrior releases five extremely fearsome arrows at an opponent’s charioteer. The charioteer is struck and loses consciousness, impairing the chariot’s control and escalating the peril on the battlefield.