Shloka 16
Karṇa’s Camp-Council Discourse: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament, Sañjaya’s Counsel, and Karṇa’s Request for Śalya
Book 8, Chapter 22
ततो दुःशासनो राजन् विद्ध्वा पाण्डुसुतं रणे । सारथिं नवभिर्बाणैमद्रियस्प समार्पयत्,राजन्! इसके बाद दुःशासनने रणभुमिमें पाण्डुकुमार सहदेवको घायल करके उन माद्रीकुमारके सारथिको भी नौ बाण मारे
tato duḥśāsano rājan viddhvā pāṇḍusutaṃ raṇe | sārathiṃ navabhir bāṇair mādrīyasya samārpayat rājan ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O King, Duḥśāsana, having struck the son of Pāṇḍu in the battle, also pierced the charioteer of Mādrī’s son with nine arrows. The scene underscores how, in the fury of war, even non-combatant attendants like charioteers become targets—an ethically grim feature of the conflict’s escalation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral deterioration within the war: violence extends beyond principal warriors to supporting figures like charioteers. It invites reflection on dharma in warfare—how anger and rivalry can erode restraint and compassion, turning battle into indiscriminate harm.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duḥśāsana wounds Sahadeva (the son of Pāṇḍu and Mādrī) and then shoots Sahadeva’s charioteer with nine arrows, intensifying the immediate combat around Sahadeva’s chariot.