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,तत्पश्चात् शल्य जिसके सारथि थे और जिसमें श्वेत घोड़े जुते हुए थे, वह विशाल रथ अन्धकारका विनाश करनेवाले सूर्यदेवके समान शत्रुओंका संहार करता हुआ आगे बढ़ा
sa rathaḥ prayayau śatrūn śvetāśvaḥ śalyasārathiḥ | niṣṇann amitrān samare tamo ghnan savitā yathā ||
അതിനുശേഷം ശല്യൻ സാരഥിയായും വെളുത്ത കുതിരകൾ കെട്ടിയതുമായ ആ മഹാരഥം ശത്രുസേനയിലേക്കു മുന്നേറി; സമരത്തിൽ വൈരികളെ വെട്ടിവീഴ്ത്തി, അന്ധകാരം അകറ്റുന്ന സൂര്യനെപ്പോലെ ദീപ്തമായി തിളങ്ങി।
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.