Shloka 9
Adhyāya 110: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament on Fate; Saṃjaya’s Reproof and the Princes’ Assault on Bhīma (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय ११०)
यौधिष्ठिरिर्ध्वजं तस्य छित्त्वा भूमावपातयत् । नाकुलिश्लाथ यन्तारं रथनीडादपाहरत्,तदनन्तर युधिष्छिरकुमार प्रतिविन्ध्यने शलकी ध्वजा काटकर पृथ्वीपर गिरा दी। फिर नकुलपुत्र शतानीकने उनके सारथिको मारकर रथकी बैठकसे नीचे गिरा दिया
sañjaya uvāca | yaudhiṣṭhirir dhvajaṃ tasya chittvā bhūmāv apātayat | nākuliḥ ślātha-yantāraṃ ratha-nīḍād apāharat |
Sañjaya berkata: Putera Yudhiṣṭhira menebas panji lawannya hingga jatuh ke bumi. Kemudian putera Nakula menewaskan sais kereta dan menyeretnya turun dari tempat duduk kereta perang. Dalam etika perang yang suram, jatuhnya panji menandakan kehinaan dan goyahnya semangat, sedangkan pembunuhan pemandu menunjukkan pertempuran beralih kepada melumpuhkan keupayaan musuh untuk meneruskan—suatu peningkatan yang mencerminkan derasnya kekejaman perang Kurukṣetra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, symbolic acts (cutting a banner) and tactical acts (removing a charioteer) both shape outcomes. Ethically, it reflects the tension between kṣatriya duty to fight effectively and the war’s tendency to erode restraint, as victory becomes tied to disabling the enemy by any means.
Sañjaya reports two swift battlefield actions: Prativindhya (Yudhiṣṭhira’s son) cuts down an opponent’s standard, and Śatānīka (Nakula’s son) kills or disables the charioteer and pulls him from the chariot-seat, thereby crippling the enemy’s mobility and combat effectiveness.