Shloka 453
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
मुज्चन् बाणमयं वर्ष प्रायाच्छल्यरथं प्रति । वह विशाल रथ-सेनाके द्वारा सब ओरसे घिरकर बाणोंकी वर्षा करता हुआ शल्यके रथपर चढ़ आया
sañjaya uvāca | muñcan bāṇamayaṃ varṣaṃ prāyāc chalyarathaṃ prati |
Sañjaya berkata: Sambil mencurahkan hujan anak panah, Vaha—meski dikepung dari segala arah oleh bala kereta yang besar—tetap mara ke hadapan dan mendekati kereta Śalya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣātra-vīrya (martial valor) expressed as unwavering advance under pressure: even when surrounded, a warrior persists in his chosen objective. Ethically, it reflects the battlefield ideal of steadfastness and resolve within one’s role (svadharma), without commenting on ultimate righteousness of the war itself.
Sañjaya describes Vaha advancing toward Śalya’s chariot while continuously releasing a dense barrage of arrows, despite being hemmed in by a large chariot-host on all sides.