Shloka 44
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
स रथ: प्रययौ शत्रून् श्वेताश्वः शल्यसारथि: । निष्नन्नमित्रान् समरे तमो घ्नन् सविता यथा
sa rathaḥ prayayau śatrūn śvetāśvaḥ śalyasārathiḥ | niṣṇann amitrān samare tamo ghnan savitā yathā ||
サンジャヤは言った。すると、白馬に繋がれシャリヤが御するその大戦車は、敵陣へと進み入り、戦場で仇敵を斬り伏せた。あたかも闇を払う太陽のごとく。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily offers a martial simile: as the sun removes darkness, so a powerful war-chariot under a skilled charioteer removes opposition on the battlefield. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension: kṣatriya-duty demands decisive action in war, yet the narrative repeatedly reminds us that such ‘light’ is achieved through lethal force.
Sañjaya describes a chariot—driven by Śalya and drawn by white horses—surging forward into the enemy, slaughtering foes. The advance is compared to the sun’s forward presence that dispels darkness, emphasizing unstoppable momentum and battlefield dominance.