Shloka 28
Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
हताश्व॑ं च समालक्ष्य हतसूतमरिंदम
hatāśvaṃ ca samālakṣya hatasūtam ariṃdama
Wika ni Sañjaya: Nang makita niyang nawalan ng mga kabayo ang karwahe at napatay ang tagapagpatakbo nito, O manlulupig ng mga kaaway, natanto niya ang desperadong pagliko ng labanan—larawang nagpapakita na sa digmaan, ang kagitingan ay sinusubok hindi lamang ng lakas, kundi ng pagbagsak ng sandigan at kaayusan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic: a warrior’s effectiveness depends on the integrity of his supports (horses, charioteer, order). When these are destroyed, the situation becomes a moral and strategic crisis, testing steadiness, judgment, and adherence to kṣatriya-dharma under sudden reversal.
Sañjaya reports that a chariot is seen in a disabled state—its horses killed and its charioteer slain—signaling a decisive setback in the ongoing combat and setting up the next actions taken in response to that vulnerability.