Shloka 2036
Somadatta’s Kṣātra-Dharma Accusation; Night Combat, Māyā, and the Fall of Ghaṭotkaca
Droṇa-parva, Adhyāya 131
विव्याध चास्य त्वरित: सूतं पज्चभिराशुगै: । तदनन्तर कर्णने बीस बाणोंसे भीमसेनको गहरी चोट पहुँचायी। फिर तुरंत ही उनके सारथिको पाँच बाणोंसे बींध डाला
vivyādha cāsya tvaritaḥ sūtaṃ pañcabhir āśugaiḥ |
विव्याध चास्य त्वरितः सूतं पञ्चभिराशुगैः । ततः कर्णोऽपि भीमं विंशत्या शरैर्व्यतुदत् ॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a grim battlefield ethic: victory often depends not only on confronting the principal warrior but also on disrupting the support systems (like the charioteer) that enable effective combat. It invites reflection on how, in war, tactical necessity can override ordinary moral restraints, raising questions about proportionality and dharma in extreme circumstances.
Sañjaya narrates that the attacker quickly shoots the opponent’s charioteer with five swift arrows, aiming to destabilize the enemy’s chariot and reduce his fighting effectiveness.