Shloka 43
अध्याय ५६ — च्यवन–कुशिकसंवादः
Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Lineage, Conflict, and Transmission
वेपमानौ निराहारौ पञ्चाशद्रात्रकर्षितौ । कथंचिदूहतुर्वीरी दम्पती तं रथोत्तमम्
vepamānau nirāhārau pañcāśad-rātra-karśitau | kathaṃcid ūhatur vīrī dampatī taṃ rathottamam ||
Bhishma said: “Trembling in every limb, without food, and emaciated by fifty nights, that heroic husband and wife somehow mustered their courage and, with great effort, bore along that excellent chariot.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness in duty under extreme hardship: even when weakened by prolonged fasting and physical trembling, one should not abandon a righteous task. It serves as an ethical exemplum of endurance (titikṣā) and resolve aligned with dharma.
Bhishma describes a husband and wife who, after fifty nights without food, have become emaciated and are trembling; nevertheless, they bravely manage—somehow—to carry or drag an excellent chariot, emphasizing their extraordinary perseverance.