Shloka 21
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 114 — Karṇa–Bhīmasena Missile Exchange, Disarmament, and Arjuna’s Intervention
“राजन! आप जिन सहस्रों रथियोंको देख रहे हैं, ये रुक्मरथ नामवाले महारथी राजकुमार हैं। प्रजानाथ! ये रथों, अस्त्रों और हाथियोंके संचालनमें भी निपुण हैं ।। धनुर्वेदे गता: पारं मुष्टियुद्धे च कोविदा: । गदायुद्धविशेषज्ञा नियुद्धकुशलास्तथा,'ये सब-के-सब थधरनुर्वेदके पारंगत दिद्वान् हैं। मुष्टियुद्धमें भी निपुण हैं, गदायुद्धके विशेषज्ञ हैं और मल्लयुद्धमें भी कुशल हैं
sañjaya uvāca | rājan! yān sahasrāṇi rathināṁ paśyasi, ete rukmaratha-nāmāno mahārathino rājaputrāḥ | prajānātha! ete rathānām astrāṇāṁ ca hastināṁ ca sañcālane’pi nipuṇāḥ || dhanurvede gatāḥ pāraṁ muṣṭiyuddhe ca kovidāḥ | gadāyuddha-viśeṣajñā niyuddha-kuśalās tathā || ete sarve dhanurvedasya pāraṅgatā vidvāṁsaḥ | muṣṭiyuddhe’pi nipuṇāḥ, gadāyuddhasya viśeṣajñāḥ, mallayuddhe ca kuśalāḥ |
Sañjaya said: “O King, the thousands of chariot-warriors you see are royal princes—great champions known by the name Rukmaratha. O lord of the people, they are skilled not only in handling chariots and weapons but also in directing elephants. They have mastered the science of archery (Dhanurveda), are adept in fist-fighting, are specialists in mace-combat, and are likewise proficient in regulated wrestling (niyuddha).”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined mastery of multiple martial arts as a marker of kṣatriya preparedness; ethically, it frames how trained power is mobilized in war, inviting reflection on the ends to which such skill is applied.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra about the many chariot-warriors present—princes called Rukmaratha—emphasizing their expertise in chariots, weapons, elephants, archery, fist-fighting, mace-fighting, and wrestling to convey the strength of the assembled force.