Shloka 67
हताश्व॑ रथमुत्सृज्य त्वरमाणो नरोत्तम: । तस्थौ विस्फारयंश्वापं क्रोधरक्तेक्षण: श्वसन्
hatāśvaṁ ratham utsṛjya tvaramāṇo narottamaḥ | tasthau visphārayaṁś cāpaṁ krodha-rakte-kṣaṇaḥ śvasan ||
Sañjaya said: “Leaving behind his chariot now bereft of horses, that foremost of men hurriedly sprang down and stood upon the ground. Breathing hard, his eyes reddened with wrath, he made his bow resound—his anger turning into a fierce resolve to continue the fight despite the loss of his mount.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger (krodha) can rapidly harden into determination and aggression. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such wrath-driven resolve may produce immediate martial effectiveness, yet it also signals a loss of inner restraint—often portrayed as a force that clouds judgment and deepens the cycle of violence.
Sañjaya describes Śakuni’s reaction after his chariot becomes horseless: he abandons the disabled chariot, quickly takes position on the ground, pants with fury, and twangs his bow—an audible sign of readiness to continue fighting despite the setback.