Shloka 37

Devanagari script

रुक्मपीठावकीण्स्तु कौशेयसदृशा हया: । सुवर्णमालिन: क्षान्ता: श्रेणिमन्तमुदावहन्‌,सुनहरी पीठसे युक्त, रेशमके समान रोमवाले, सुवर्णमालाधारी तथा सहनशक्तिसे सम्पन्न घोड़ोंने श्रेणिमान्‌को युद्धमें पहुँचाया

Transliteration

rukmapīṭhāvakīrṇās tu kauśeyasadṛśā hayāḥ | suvarṇamālinaḥ kṣāntāḥ śreṇimantam udāvahan |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Horses adorned with golden-backed trappings, their coats gleaming like silk, wearing garlands of gold and endowed with great endurance, bore Śreṇimān forward into the battle. The verse shows that martial power is not only a matter of warriors but also of well-equipped, disciplined, and resilient supports that carry a fighter into the ethical crucible of war.

Word by Word

रुक्मपीठावकीर्णाःstrewn/covered with golden seats (i.e., having golden-backed seats)

तुbut/indeed

कौशेयसदृशाःsilk-like (in appearance/texture)

हयाःhorses

सुवर्णमालिनःwearing golden garlands

क्षान्ताःenduring/patient

श्रेणिमन्तम्Śreṇimant (proper name)

उदावहन्carried/bore (him) forth

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Śreṇimān

horses (hayaḥ)

golden trappings (rukmapīṭha)

gold garlands/ornaments (suvarṇamālā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that success in war depends not only on a hero’s intent but also on disciplined, enduring supports—symbolized by the well-adorned yet resilient horses—suggesting that strength must be matched by steadiness and preparedness when entering morally weighty conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes how richly equipped, silk-coated, gold-adorned, hardy horses carry the warrior Śreṇimān into the battlefield, emphasizing the grandeur and readiness of the martial procession.