Shloka 196
Śalya Appointed as Karṇa’s Sārathi; Discourse on Praise, Blame, and Beneficial Counsel (कर्णस्य शल्यसारथ्यं तथा स्तवनिन्दाविचारः)
किरन् शतशतान्येव गौतमो5नुययौ तदा । मान्यवर नरेश! धृष्टद्युम्नके रथको वहाँसे भागते देख कृपाचार्यने सैकड़ों बाणोंकी वर्षा करते हुए उनका पीछा किया
sañjaya uvāca | kiran śataśatāny eva gautamo 'nuyayau tadā | mānyavara nareśa! dhṛṣṭadyumnake rathako vahāṃse bhāgate dekha kṛpācāryane saikṛoṃ bāṇoṃkī varṣā karate hue unakā pīchā kiyā |
Sanjaya said: “O honored king, seeing Dhrishtadyumna’s charioteer fleeing from that place, Gautama (Kripacharya) pursued him at once, showering hundreds upon hundreds of arrows. In the midst of war, the teacher-warrior presses the chase relentlessly, turning the battlefield into a test of resolve, duty, and the consequences of retreat.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the battlefield ethic that retreat invites immediate peril and that a disciplined warrior (here, the teacher Kripacharya) executes his duty with unwavering resolve. It highlights how actions in war—especially flight—carry swift consequences, testing steadiness and responsibility under pressure.
Sanjaya reports to the king that Kripacharya (called Gautama) sees Dhrishtadyumna’s charioteer fleeing and immediately gives chase, releasing a dense shower of arrows while pursuing him from the spot.