Shloka 19
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Anxiety and Bhīṣma’s Theological Explanation of Pāṇḍava Invincibility
Book 6, Chapter 61
रथिनं च हयारोह: प्रासेन भरतर्षभ । पातयामास समरे रथी च हयसादिनम्,भरतश्रेष्ठ! उस संग्राममें घुड़सवार रथीको तथा रथी घुड़सवारको प्रासद्वारा मारकर धराशायी कर देता था
rathinaṃ ca hayārohaḥ prāsena bharatarṣabha | pātayāmāsa samare rathī ca hayasādinam ||
โอ้ยอดแห่งภารตะ! ในศึกนั้น ทหารม้าก็ใช้หอกแทงโค่นนักรบรถศึกลง และนักรบรถศึกก็ใช้หอกโค่นทหารม้าลงเช่นกัน
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh reciprocity of warfare: in the arena of kṣatriya combat, violence quickly returns in kind, reminding the listener that battle magnifies consequences and leaves little room for hesitation or moral comfort.
Sañjaya reports a specific exchange on the battlefield: a mounted horseman brings down a chariot-warrior with a spear, and the chariot-warrior likewise fells the horseman—depicting rapid, mutual takedowns amid the larger Kurukṣetra war.