Shloka 22
अध्याय ९९ — युयुधान-दुःशासन-युद्धम्
Chapter 99: Sātyaki and Duḥśāsana’s engagement
ते हया: साध्वशोभन्त मिश्रिता वातरंहस: । पारावतसवर्णाश्च रक्तशोणाश्च संयुगे
te hayāḥ sādhvaśobhanta miśritā vātaraṁhasaḥ | pārāvatasavarṇāś ca raktaśoṇāś ca saṁyuge ||
Sañjaya said: In that battle, the horses looked splendid—swift as the wind and of mixed kinds—some dove-coloured, and others red and ruddy, enhancing the martial spectacle as the war pressed on.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it highlights the disciplined, well-equipped momentum of war through the image of swift, splendid horses. Ethically, it underscores how martial excellence and outward splendour can intensify the battlefield’s allure even amid destructive conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the appearance of the war-chariots’ horses in the Drona Parva battle scene—varied in colour and notably fast—conveying the scale, readiness, and vividness of the ongoing combat.