Shloka 88
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
ततः शारद्वत: षडडश्नि: प्रत्यविद्धयद् युधिष्ठिरम् । विव्याध चाश्वान्निशितैस्तस्याष्टाभि: शिलीमुखै:
tataḥ śāradvataḥ ṣaḍbhiḥ pratyaviddhayad yudhiṣṭhiram | vivyādha cāśvān niśitais tasyāṣṭābhiḥ śilīmukhaiḥ ||
Então Śāradvata (Kṛpa) atingiu o rei Yudhiṣṭhira com seis flechas. E com oito hastes agudas, semelhantes a caniços, traspassou também os cavalos de Yudhiṣṭhira—ato que, na ética severa da batalha, visa não só o guerreiro, mas a incapacitar sua mobilidade e seu comando em pleno combate.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim realism of kṣatriya warfare: victory often depends on disabling an opponent’s capacity to fight (including striking horses), raising ethical tension between martial necessity and ideals of restraint.
Sañjaya reports that Kṛpa (Śāradvata) shoots Yudhiṣṭhira with six arrows and then wounds Yudhiṣṭhira’s horses with eight sharp śilīmukha arrows, aiming to weaken his position in the battle.