Shloka 53
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
स गाढविद्धो व्यथितो रथोपस्थे महारथ: । निषसाद महाराज कश्मलं च जगाम ह,महाराज! उसके गहरे आघातसे पीड़ित एवं व्यथित होकर महारथी शल्य रथके पिछले भागमें जा बैठे और मूर्च्छित हो गये
sa gāḍha-viddho vyathito rathopasthe mahārathaḥ | niṣasāda mahārāja kaśmalaṃ ca jagāma ha ||
Sañjaya said: Struck with a deep wound and shaken by pain, the great warrior Śalya sank down upon the rear part of his chariot, O King, and fell into a swoon—his strength and composure overcome amid the violence of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the mightiest warrior is subject to pain and collapse; the verse underscores the human cost of war and the fragility of bodily strength, reminding readers that prowess does not exempt one from suffering and disorientation (kaśmala).
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śalya, grievously wounded, becomes distressed, sinks down on the chariot-seat (toward the rear), and falls into a faint/swoon.