Shloka 8
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
जाम्बूनदविचित्रेण कर्णिकारेण केतुना । अभ्यवर्तत भीष्म च तांश्वैव रथसत्तमान्,यह देख अभिमन्यु अत्यन्त कुपित हो पिंगलवर्णके श्रेष्ठ घोड़ोंसे जुते हुए रथपर बैठकर भीष्मके रथकी ओर दौड़े आये। उनका वह रथ कर्णिकारके चिह्नसे युक्त स्वर्णनिर्मित विचित्र ध्वजसे सुशोभित था। उन्होंने भीष्मपर तथा उनकी रक्षाके लिये आये हुए उन श्रेष्ठ रथियोंपर भी आक्रमण किया
jāmbūnadavicitreṇa karṇikāreṇa ketunā | abhyavartata bhīṣmaṃ ca tāṃś caiva rathasattamān |
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: Taglay ang bandilang yari sa gintong makukulay (jāmboonada) na may sagisag ng karnikāra, sumugod siya kay Bhīṣma at gayundin sa mga pangunahing mandirigmang-karwahe na dumating upang ipagtanggol ito.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in wartime: confronting the principal leader (Bhīṣma) and his protectors directly, with courage and clarity of purpose. It also reflects the epic’s ethical tension—heroic aggression is praised when aligned with duty and battlefield norms, yet it remains part of a tragic, escalating conflict.
Sañjaya describes a warrior advancing in a chariot distinguished by a golden, ornate banner bearing the karṇikāra emblem. He charges toward Bhīṣma and simultaneously engages the elite chariot-fighters guarding him, signaling an intense, high-stakes clash around the commander.