Shloka 22
त्रिपुरदाह-इतिहासः
Tripura-destruction exemplum and counsel to Śalya
तस्याश्वान् केतनं सूतं तिलशो व्यधमच्छरै: । स्यथालस्तव महाराज तत उच्चुक्रुशुर्जना:,महाराज! आपके सालेने सुतसोमके घोड़ोंको तथा ध्वज और सारथिको भी अपने बाणोंसे तिल-तिल करके काट डाला; इससे सब लोग हर्षसूचक कोलाहल करने लगे
tasyāśvān ketanaṃ sūtaṃ tilaśo vyadhamac charaiḥ | syathālas tava mahārāja tata uccukruśur janāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Your brother-in-law then shot down his opponent’s horses, banner, and charioteer, cutting them to pieces with his arrows. At that sight, O great king, the warriors and onlookers raised a loud cry of exultation—an acclaim for prowess displayed in the brutal economy of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how battlefield success is publicly validated: the destruction of key supports of a chariot—horses, banner, and charioteer—becomes a measure of martial superiority, prompting collective acclaim. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension between kṣatriya valor and the grim reality that victory often rests on disabling an enemy’s means rather than engaging in idealized combat.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the king’s brother-in-law (as referenced in the Hindi gloss) strikes down an opponent’s horses, banner, and charioteer with arrows, cutting them apart. The surrounding warriors/onlookers respond with loud, celebratory shouts.