Shloka 52
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya-saṃvādaḥ; madhyāhna-saṅgrāma-pravṛttiḥ
Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue and the midday battle escalation
हयांश्व चतुर: शीघ्रं निजघान महाबल: । शरैश्वैनं सुनिशितै: क्षिप्रं विव्याध सप्तभि:
hayāṁś caturaḥ śīghraṁ nijaghāna mahābalaḥ | śaraiś cainaṁ suniśitaiḥ kṣipraṁ vivyādha saptabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya nói: “Dũng sĩ hùng mạnh ấy lập tức hạ gục bốn con ngựa; rồi với bảy mũi tên sắc như dao cạo, chàng nhanh chóng đâm xuyên cả đối thủ.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, strategic action often targets an opponent’s means of movement and defense first; it implicitly reflects the harsh logic of kṣatriya warfare, where effectiveness and speed can decide life and death, even as the ethical burden of such acts is carried within the larger dharmic conflict.
Sañjaya describes a powerful fighter rapidly killing the four horses of an enemy’s chariot and then immediately wounding the enemy himself with seven extremely sharp arrows.