Shloka 593
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
षट्साहसेहयै: शिष्टेरपायाच्छान्तवाहनम् | इसी प्रकार खूनसे नहायी हुई पाण्डव-सेना भी शेष छः: हजार घुड़सवारोंके साथ युद्धसे निवृत्त हो गयी। उसके सारे वाहन थक गये थे
ṣaṭsāhasaiḥ hayaiḥ śiṣṭeḥ apāyāc chāntavāhanam |
Sañjaya nói: “Chỉ còn lại sáu nghìn kỵ binh, đạo quân ấy rút khỏi chiến trận; mọi cỗ xe và vật kéo đều đã mỏi mệt. Cũng vậy, quân Pāṇḍava—đẫm máu—cũng lui khỏi cuộc giao tranh cùng với sáu nghìn kỵ binh còn lại, khi sự kiệt sức phủ xuống cả người lẫn ngựa.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a war driven by vows and strategy, physical limits assert themselves: fatigue, loss, and the blood-soaked reality of combat force withdrawal. The passage underscores the human and ethical cost of violence—victory is never untouched by suffering.
Sañjaya reports that after heavy fighting, only six thousand cavalry remain with the force being described, and it retreats as its mounts and conveyances are exhausted. Likewise, the Pāṇḍava army—drenched in blood—also disengages from battle with its remaining six thousand horsemen.