Shloka 423
शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host
with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter
त्रिभिवव सारथिं हत्वा कर्णपुत्रो ननाद ह । उसने चार बाणोंसे उनके चारों घोड़ोंको मार डाला और पाँचसे उनकी ध्वजा काटकर तीनसे सारथिके भी प्राण ले लिये। इसके बाद कर्णपुत्र जोर-जोरसे सिंहनाद करने लगा
sañjaya uvāca | tribhir eva sārathiṃ hatvā karṇaputro nanāda ha |
Sanjaya disse: Tendo abatido o cocheiro com três flechas, o filho de Karṇa soltou um brado estrondoso. No calor da batalha, derrubou com rapidez os quatro cavalos com quatro setas, cortou o estandarte com cinco e, com outras três, tirou também a vida do condutor. Depois disso, o filho de Karṇa rugiu em alta voz, como um leão.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ideal of swift martial efficiency and public assertion of valor, while implicitly exposing the ethical tension of war: victory is achieved through the taking of lives (even non-combatant roles like a charioteer) and the destruction of symbols of honor (banner), reminding readers that dharma in war is complex and morally costly.
Sanjaya reports that Karna’s son kills the charioteer with three arrows and then roars loudly in triumph; the accompanying narrative sense adds that he also brings down the horses and cuts the banner, demonstrating dominance over the opponent’s chariot and proclaiming his prowess.