Shloka 12
भीमस्तु सारथिं हत्वा भीष्मस्य रथिनां वर: । प्रद्रुताश्वे रथे तस्मिन् द्रवमाणे समनन््तत:ः,इसी समय रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ भीमसेनने भीष्मके सारथिको मार डाला। फिर तो उनके घोड़े उस रथको लेकर रणभूमिमें चारों ओर दौड़ लगाने लगे
bhīmas tu sārathiṃ hatvā bhīṣmasya rathināṃ varaḥ | pradrutāśve rathe tasmin dravamāṇe samanantataḥ ||
اسی وقت رتھیوں میں برتر بھیم سین نے بھیشم کے سارتھی کو قتل کر دیا۔ سارتھی کے گرتے ہی گھوڑے بے قابو ہو گئے اور وہ رتھ میدانِ جنگ میں ہر سمت دوڑنے لگا۔
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how warfare often turns on supports and systems (like the charioteer) rather than only on the famed warrior. It invites reflection on kshatriya-dharma and battlefield ethics: whether disabling an enemy’s capacity to fight—by removing the driver—counts as necessary strategy or a morally fraught act, and how quickly order can collapse into chaos when control is lost.
Sanjaya reports that Bhima kills Bhishma’s charioteer. As a result, Bhishma’s chariot, with horses no longer guided, rushes about the battlefield in all directions, indicating a momentary loss of command and tactical disruption around Bhishma.