Shloka 20

चेकितानस्तु वार्ष्णेयो गौतमं रथिनां वरम्‌ | प्रेक्षतां सर्वसैन्यानां छादयामास सायकै:,उधर वृष्णिवंशी चेकितानने रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ कृपाचार्यको सब सेनाओंके देखते-देखते अपने सायकोंसे आच्छादित कर दिया

cekitānas tu vārṣṇeyo gautamaṁ rathināṁ varam | prekṣatāṁ sarvasainyānāṁ chādayāmāsa sāyakaiḥ ||

ສັນຊະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ແລ້ວ ເຈກິຕານະ ແຫ່ງວົງວຣິສນິ ຕໍ່ໜ້າກອງທັບທັງປວງ ໄດ້ຍິງລູກສອນເປັນຝົນ ປົກຄຸມ ຄໍຕະມະ—ຄຣິປາຈາຣຍະ ຜູ້ເປັນຍອດແຫ່ງນັກຮົບລົດສົງຄາມ. ພາບນີ້ຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນວ່າ ໃນກົດເກນອັນໂຫດຮ້າຍຂອງສົງຄາມ ແມ່ນແຕ່ຜູ້ເຖົ້າແລະອາຈານທີ່ຄົນເຄົາລົບ ກໍຕ້ອງກາຍເປັນເປົ້າໝາຍ ເມື່ອຢືນເປັນນັກຮົບໃນສະໜາມຮົບ.

चेकितानःChekitana
चेकितानः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootचेकितान
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
वार्ष्णेयःVrishni-descended (Yadava)
वार्ष्णेयः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootवार्ष्णेय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
गौतमम्Gautama (Kripa)
गौतमम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootगौतम
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
रथिनाम्of chariot-warriors
रथिनाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootरथि
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
वरम्best/excellent
वरम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootवर
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
प्रेक्षताम्of those watching
प्रेक्षताम्:
TypeVerb
Rootप्रेक्ष्
FormShatr (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter (contextual), Genitive, Plural
सर्वसैन्यानाम्of all the armies
सर्वसैन्यानाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootसर्व-सैन्य
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
छादयामासcovered/veiled
छादयामास:
TypeVerb
Rootछद्
FormLit (perfect), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
सायकैःwith arrows
सायकैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootसायक
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
C
Cekitāna
V
Vṛṣṇi (clan)
G
Gautama (Kṛpācārya/Kṛpa)
R
ratha (chariot)
S
sāyaka (arrows)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the hard edge of kṣatriya-dharma in war: personal reverence for elders or teachers does not override battlefield duty once they stand as armed opponents. It also reflects the epic’s ethical tension—honor and respect persist, yet combat compels forceful action.

Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where Cekitāna, a Vṛṣṇi warrior, unleashes a dense volley of arrows that ‘covers’ Kṛpācārya (called the Gautama), renowned as a foremost chariot-fighter, in full view of both armies.