Shloka 383
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 155 — Ghaṭotkaca-nidhana-śoka and Karṇa-śakti-vyaya
Kṛṣṇa’s strategic reassurance
निषसाद रथोपस्थे भृशं सम्मूढचेतन: । कानोंतक खींचकर चलाये हुए उस बाणसे घायल हो कुरुवंशी दुर्योधन अत्यन्त मूर्च्छित हो गया और रथके पिछले भागमें धम्मसे बैठ गया
niṣasāda rathopasthe bhṛśaṃ sammūḍhacetanāḥ |
Sañjaya said: Struck by the arrow and overwhelmed in mind, Duryodhana—scion of the Kuru line—fell into a deep swoon and collapsed heavily onto the rear part of his chariot. The scene underscores how, in war, even a proud ruler’s resolve can be shattered in an instant, exposing the fragility of power and the grave human cost of adharma-driven conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the impermanence of martial pride and political power: in a moment, injury and shock can reduce a mighty king to helplessness. Ethically, it points to the heavy cost of a war pursued through adharma—where ambition and hostility culminate in suffering and loss of agency.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, struck by an arrow and mentally overwhelmed, loses consciousness and collapses onto the rear portion of his chariot, indicating a sudden turning point in the immediate combat situation.