Shloka 25
अध्याय ५३ — रणमेघोपमा सेना-वर्णना तथा सुषेण-वधोत्तर प्रतिक्रिया
Battle-as-Storm Imagery and the Aftermath of Suṣeṇa’s Fall
अथास्य सशरं चाप पुनश्चिच्छेद मारिष | सारथिं च शरेणास्य भृशं मर्मस्वताडयत्,आर्य! तत्पश्चात् बाणसहित उनके धनुषको काट दिया और एक बाणद्वारा उनके सारथिके मर्मस्थानोंमें गहरी चोट पहुँचायी
athāsya saśaraṃ cāpa punaś ciccheda māriṣa | sārathiṃ ca śareṇāsya bhṛśaṃ marmasv atāḍayat ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O noble one, he once again cut down his bow together with the arrow set upon it; and with a single shaft he struck that warrior’s charioteer fiercely in the vital spots. The episode underscores the ruthless precision of battlefield skill, where disabling the opponent’s means of fighting—and even targeting the support personnel—becomes a grim tactic in the collapse of restraint amid war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war can erode ordinary moral boundaries: victory is pursued through tactical disabling of weapons and support systems. It invites reflection on kṣatriya conduct—skill and resolve are praised, yet the targeting of a charioteer and vital points exposes the harsh ethical tensions inherent in total war.
In Sañjaya’s report, a warrior severs his opponent’s bow even as an arrow is set on it, then shoots the opponent’s charioteer, striking him hard in vital areas—an attempt to cripple the enemy’s mobility and fighting capacity.