Shloka 28
भीमसेन-दुर्योधन-समागमः
Bhīmasena–Duryodhana Engagement at Sunset
वार्ष्णेयस्य रथाद् भीष्म: पातयामास सारथिम् । तब भीष्मने अत्यन्त भयंकर तीक्ष्ण बाणका संधान करके सात्यकिके रथसे उनके सारथिको मार गिराया ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
vārṣṇeyasya rathād bhīṣmaḥ pātayāmāsa sārathim |
tasya aśvāḥ pradrutā rājan nihate ratha-sārathau |
桑阇耶说道：毗湿摩从瓦尔什涅耶（萨提亚基）的战车上击倒了御者。御者既死，陛下，萨提亚基的马匹便惊惶失控，狂奔而去。战场职责的残酷伦理在此显露：御者一倒，勇士的技艺顷刻化为无助；战争所伤的不仅是英雄，也包括支撑战斗运转的辅佐之人。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a harsh battlefield reality: a warrior’s prowess depends on supporting roles (like the charioteer). In war, striking at these supports can decide outcomes, revealing the fragility of martial power and the morally grim logic of kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīṣma shoots down the charioteer of Vārṣṇeya/Sātyaki. With the driver dead, Sātyaki’s horses panic and run, disrupting the chariot and placing the warrior at a tactical disadvantage.