Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
शैनेयेडधिछिते राजन् विरथे कृतवर्मणि
śaineye dadhicchite rājan virathe kṛtavarmaṇi
サンジャヤは言った――王よ、夜戦の混乱のただ中で、シャイネーヤ(サーティヤキ)が打ち倒され、クリタヴァルマンが戦車を失って取り残されたとき、戦の均衡はまたも傾いた。戦において運命がいかに速やかに転ずるかが、そこに露わとなった。
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores the instability of worldly power in war: even renowned warriors can be suddenly brought low, reminding readers that pride and certainty are fragile and that outcomes can pivot in an instant.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra a battlefield development: Śaineya (Sātyaki) has been struck down, and Kṛtavarman is without his chariot—details that signal a critical shift in the ongoing combat.