Shloka 21
भीष्मरथाभिमुख्यं — Arjuna’s advance with Śikhaṇḍin; Duḥśāsana’s interception
रथिनश्न रथैहीना वर्मिणस्तेजसा युता: । कुण्डलोष्णीषिण: सर्वे निष्काड्दविभूषणा:
sañjaya uvāca |
rathinaś ca rathair hīnā varmiṇas tejasā yutāḥ |
kuṇḍaloṣṇīṣiṇaḥ sarve niṣkāṇḍavibhūṣaṇāḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Bien des grands guerriers de char avaient été privés de leurs chars ; pourtant, revêtus d’armures et rayonnants d’éclat martial, tous portaient boucles d’oreilles et turban, parés de colliers d’or et de brassards. Quoique beaux comme des princes célestes et vaillants comme Indra, on les voyait courir çà et là à pied, tels de simples hommes—montrant qu’en guerre la fortune et les circonstances peuvent dépouiller même les plus puissants de leur rang et de leur assurance.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the instability of worldly power in war: even the most splendid and heroic warriors can be reduced to vulnerability when their supports (like chariots and formations) are lost. It highlights impermanence and the humbling force of circumstance, a reminder to ground valor in steadiness rather than external status.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene where many renowned chariot-fighters have lost their chariots. Despite still wearing armor and rich ornaments, they are forced to move on foot and scatter, revealing a moment of disarray and reversal amid the Kurukṣetra fighting.