Shloka 6
Ritual Acclamation at Hastināpura and Karṇa’s Vow Concerning Arjuna (राजकीय स्तुति-प्रसङ्गः कर्णप्रतिज्ञा च)
दुर्योधन चित्रसेनो विरथं पतितं भुवि । अभिद्र॒त्य महाबाहुर्जीवग्राहमथाग्रहीत्,उस समय दुर्योधन रथहीन होकर धरतीपर गिर पड़ा। यह देख महाबाहु चित्रसेनने झटपट जाकर उसे जीते-जी ही बंदी बना लिया
duryodhanaḥ citrasenaḥ virathaṁ patitaṁ bhuvi | abhidrutya mahābāhur jīvagrāham athāgrahīt ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: When Duryodhana, deprived of his chariot, fell to the ground, the mighty-armed Citrasena rushed upon him and seized him alive, taking him captive. The episode underscores a restraint amid conflict: the victor chooses capture over killing, turning battlefield dominance into a lesson in measured power and the consequences of arrogance.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power is ethically tested by restraint: even in victory, choosing to capture rather than kill reflects controlled strength, while Duryodhana’s fall highlights how pride can lead to humiliation and loss of agency.
Duryodhana is thrown from or separated from his chariot and falls to the ground; seeing him vulnerable, the Gandharva warrior Citrasena swiftly charges and takes him alive as a captive.