Shloka 20
अध्याय ४ — दुर्योधनस्य असंधि-निश्चयः
Duryodhana’s Refusal of Reconciliation
श्वेताक्ष॒ वेगसम्पन्ना: शशिकाशसमप्रभा: । पिबन्त इव चाकाशं रथे युक्तास्तु वाजिन:,“उनके रथमें जुते हुए घोड़े श्वेत वर्णवाले, वेगशशाली तथा चन्द्रमा और कासके समान उज्ज्वल कान्तिसे सुशोभित हैं। वे ऐसी तीव्र गतिसे चलते हैं, मानो आकाशको पी जायूँगे
śvetākṣa vegasampannāḥ śaśikāśasamaprabhāḥ | pibanta iva cākāśaṃ rathe yuktās tu vājinaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kuda-kuda yang dipasangkan pada kereta itu bermata putih, penuh kepantasan, dan bersinar seperti bulan serta bunga kāśa yang pucat. Mereka menerjang ke hadapan begitu laju seolah-olah akan meneguk langit itu sendiri—gambaran yang menambah tegangnya suasana perang dan rasa gerun terhadap kuasa tempur.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than didactic: it underscores how overwhelming martial force and momentum can appear in war. Ethically, it functions as a reminder that the battlefield dazzles with power and spectacle, yet such brilliance is instrumental—serving the larger, morally fraught conflict rather than constituting virtue by itself.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describes the chariot’s horses: white-eyed, extremely swift, and shining like the moon and kāśa blossoms. Their speed is hyperbolically portrayed as if they could 'drink the sky,' intensifying the sense of rapid advance and battlefield grandeur.