Shloka 37

द्रोणवध-प्रश्नः

Droṇa’s Fall: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry

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

Kuda-kuda dengan pelana belakang berlapis emas, berbulu berkilau laksana sutra, berkalungkan emas dan berhati tabah, membawa Śreṇimān maju ke medan perang.

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.