Санджая
शकुनिश् चार्जुनं राजन् परिवार्य समन्ततः ॥
रथैर् अनेकसाहस्रैर् गजैश् चैव सहस्रशः ॥
तथा हयसहस्रैश् च तुमुलं सर्वतो ऽकरोत् ॥
ते महास्त्राणि दिव्यानि विकिरन्तो ऽर्जुनं प्रति ॥
अर्जुनं योधयन्ति स्म क्षत्रियाः कालचोदिताः ॥
तान्य् अर्जुनः सहस्राणि रथवारणवाजिनाम् ॥
प्रत्यवारयद् आयस्तः प्रकुर्वन् विपुलं क्षयम् ॥
ततस् तु समरे शूरः शकुनिः सौबलस् तदा ॥
विव्याध निशितैर् बाणैर् अर्जुनं प्रहसन्न् इव ॥
śakuniś cārjunaṃ rājan parivārya samantataḥ ||
rathair anekasāhasrair gajaiś caiva sahasraśaḥ ||
tathā hayasahasraiś ca tumulaṃ sarvato 'karot ||
te mahāstrāṇi divyāni vikiranto 'rjunaṃ prati ||
arjunaṃ yodhayanti sma kṣatriyāḥ kālacoditāḥ ||
tāny arjunaḥ sahasrāṇi rathavāraṇavājinām ||
pratyavārayad āyastaḥ prakurvan vipulaṃ kṣayam ||
tatas tu samare śūraḥ śakuniḥ saubalas tadā ||
vivyādha niśitair bāṇair arjunaṃ prahasann iva ||
And Shakuni, O king, having surrounded Arjuna on all sides with many thousands of chariots and thousands of elephants, and thousands of horses, stirred up tumult all around. They, showering upon Arjuna the great divine weapons, fought against Arjuna -- kshatriyas driven by fate. Those thousands of chariots, elephants, and horses Arjuna repelled, having exerted himself, wreaking great destruction. Then, in the fight, the hero Shakuni, son of Subala, then [pierced Arjuna].
209a735768bd · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:49:34 PM UTC
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The kshatriyas fight Arjuna 'driven by fate': they move not toward victory but toward appointed death. This expression -- kalacodita, driven by Time -- is significant, as if death itself drove them onto the spear. The verse teaches that often a multitude rushes to its own destruction, obeying not reason but fate and command; and thousands thrown against an unconquerable foe are not strength but fuel for death, driven by the unseen hand of destiny.