Shloka 21
Adhyāya 107 — बहुयुद्धप्रकरणम्
Multiple Defensive Engagements to Protect Bhīṣma
तस्याश्चांश्व॒तुरो हत्वा सूत॑ं च नवभि: शरै:
tasyāś cāṁś caturō hatvā sūtaṁ ca navabhiḥ śaraiḥ
三阇耶说道：他先射杀对手的四匹战马，继而以九箭贯穿其御者。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring epic reality: in war, disabling an enemy’s means of movement and coordination (horses and charioteer) can be decisive. Ethically, it underscores the tension between strategic necessity and the harshness of violence, a central concern in the Mahābhārata’s reflection on kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya reports a combat moment in which a warrior first kills four horses of an opponent’s chariot and then strikes the charioteer with nine arrows, effectively crippling the chariot’s operation and shifting the balance of the encounter.