Shloka 203

Devanagari script

रुक्मपुड्खै: शरैश्छिन्नाश्चित्ररूपा बभुस्तदा । राजन! उन दोनोंके वे रथ, वे घोड़े और वे सारथि सुवर्णमय पंखवाले बाणोंसे क्षत- विक्षत होकर उस समय विचित्ररूपसे सुशोभित हो रहे थे

Transliteration

rukmapuṅkhaiḥ śaraiś chinnāś citrarūpā babhūs tadā | rājan! ubhayos te rathās te hayās te sārathayaś ca suvarṇamaya-puṅkhavālair bāṇaiḥ kṣata-vikṣatāḥ san tadā vicitrarūpeṇa suśobhitā babhūvuḥ ||

Translation

संजय बोले—राजन्! उस समय उन दोनों के रथ, घोड़े और सारथि सुवर्णमय पंखों वाले बाणों से कट-फटकर क्षत-विक्षत हो गए थे; और वे घावों से ही मानो अलंकृत होकर एक विचित्र, भयावह शोभा धारण कर रहे थे।

Word by Word

रुक्मपुड्खैःwith golden-feathered

शरैःby arrows

छिन्नाःcut, wounded

चित्ररूपाःof wondrous appearance

बभुःbecame / appeared

तदाthen

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as rājan)

chariots (rathāḥ)

horses (hayāḥ)

charioteers (sārathayaḥ)

arrows (śarāḥ/bāṇāḥ) with golden fletching (rukmapuṅkha/suvarṇamaya-puṅkha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a moral tension of war: even grievous injury can appear 'ornamental' in the spectacle of battle, reminding the listener that martial glory often masks suffering and destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra how the combatants’ chariots, horses, and charioteers are cut and mangled by golden-fletched arrows, yet appear visually striking—an image of battlefield intensity and damage.