Shloka 59
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
ततो रुक्मरथो राजन् सायकेन दृढाहतः । निषसाद रथोपस्थे कश्मलं चाविशन्महत्
tato rukmaratho rājan sāyakena dṛḍhāhataḥ | niṣasāda rathopasthe kaśmalaṃ cāviśan mahat ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O King, Rukmaratha—struck hard by an arrow—sank down upon the seat of his chariot, and a great faintness (bewildering distress) overcame him. In the battlefield narrative, the verse underscores how swiftly martial prowess can be checked by a single well-aimed weapon, reminding the listener that bodily strength and pride are fragile amid the workings of fate and the consequences of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the vulnerability of the body and the sudden reversals inherent in war: even a capable warrior can be brought to collapse by a single strike. Ethically, it points to the grave cost of conflict and the humbling of pride, reinforcing the Mahābhārata’s recurring reminder that power and life are unstable amid karma and battlefield duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warrior Rukmaratha is hit hard by an arrow. Severely wounded, he slumps onto the chariot-seat and is seized by intense faintness or confusion, indicating he is momentarily incapacitated in the fight.