Shloka 643
हतो रथाग्रादपतत् स रुग्ण: परश्वधै: शाल इवावकृत्त: | वह राजकुमार मस्तक, भुजा, घोड़े, सारथि, धनुष और ध्वजसे रहित हो मरकर रथके अग्रभागसे नीचे गिर पड़ा, मानो फरसोंसे काटा गया शालवृक्ष टूटकर धराशायी हो गया हो
hato rathāgrād apatat sa rugṇaḥ paraśvadhaiḥ śāla ivāvakṛttaḥ |
Sañjaya sprach: Erschlagen stürzte er vom Vorderteil seines Wagens—zerschmettert und hilflos—wie ein śāla-Baum, von Äxten durchhauen, der krachend zu Boden fällt.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the impermanence of worldly power and martial glory: even a prince-like warrior, supported by chariot, weapons, and emblems, can be felled instantly. The ethical undertone is a sober reminder of karma and the fragility of embodied life amid violence.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior has been killed and falls from the front of his chariot. The fall is compared to a strong śāla tree cut down by axes, emphasizing the sudden, heavy collapse that follows a fatal blow.