शिखण्डिनं तथा ज्ञात्वा हार्दिक्यशरपीडितम् ॥
अपोवाह रणाद् यन्ता त्वरमाणो महारथम् ॥
सादितं तु रथोपस्थे दृष्ट्वा पार्थाः शिखण्डिनम् ॥
परिवव्रू रथैस् तूर्णं कृतवर्माणम् आहवे ॥
तत्राद्भुतं परं चक्रे कृतवर्मा महारथः ॥
यद् एकः समरे पार्थान् वारयाम् आस सानुगान् ॥
śikhaṇḍinaṃ tathā jñātvā hārdikyaśarapīḍitam ||
apovāha raṇād yantā tvaramāṇo mahāratham ||
sāditaṃ tu rathopasthe dṛṣṭvā pārthāḥ śikhaṇḍinam ||
parivavrū rathais tūrṇaṃ kṛtavarmāṇam āhave ||
tatrādbhutaṃ paraṃ cakre kṛtavarmā mahārathaḥ ||
yad ekaḥ samare pārthān vārayām āsa sānugān ||
Recognizing Shikhandin thus tormented by the arrows of the son of Hridika, his charioteer, hastening, carried the great warrior away from the battle. Seeing Shikhandin fallen on the platform of his chariot, the Parthas swiftly surrounded Kritavarman in battle. There Kritavarman, the great warrior, wrought a supreme wonder -- that alone he held back the Parthas together with their followers in battle.
20400c6fbafa · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:02:23 PM UTC
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Once more a "supreme wonder" is shown: Kritavarman alone holds back the whole host of the Parthas. The epic is impartial in praising valor, whichever side displays it. It is telling that the courage of the wrong side is not diminished thereby. The verse teaches that a man's worth is not erased by the wrongness of his cause: one may stand for error and still show wondrous steadfastness, and a just eye gives valor its due even where it condemns the end it serves.