Mahabharata 7.25.54 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 25, Shloka 54
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 25 — Bhīma’s Disruption of Elephant Formations and Bhagadatta’s Shock Advance
स सैमदत्तेस्त्वरितश्रित्रेष्वसनकेतने । पुनः पताकां सूतं च छत्र॑ं चापातयद् रथात्,तब उन्होंने तुरंत ही शूरिश्रवाके विचित्र धनुष, ध्वजा-पताका, सारथि और छत्रको रथसे काट गिराया
sa saimadattes tvaritaś chitreṣv-asan-ketane | punaḥ patākāṃ sūtaṃ ca chatraṃ cāpātayad rathāt ||
サンジャヤは言った。「彼はたちまち、彩りの弓を携え、異様な徽章の旗を掲げるサイマダッティの戦車から、旗印と御者と王者の天蓋（傘）とを打ち落とし、車上より地に倒した。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a wartime ethic where victory is pursued through strategic disabling of an opponent’s capacity to fight—by cutting down the charioteer and the emblems of command (flag, parasol). It reflects the harsh logic of kṣatriya warfare: skill and decisiveness can target not only the warrior but also the supports and symbols that sustain his power.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior attacks Saimadatti’s chariot and, with swift strikes, knocks down the banner/flag, the charioteer, and the royal parasol from the chariot—effectively crippling the chariot’s function and diminishing Saimadatti’s battlefield presence.
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