Shloka 463
धृष्टद्युम्नस्य द्रोणरथारोহণं सात्यकेः प्रतिरक्षणं च | Dhrishtadyumna Boards Droṇa’s Chariot; Sātyaki’s Counter-Protection
दुःखेन महता<5<विष्टो युधिष्ठिरमपृच्छत । इस प्रकार बारंबार विलाप करके टूटे हुए जहाजवाले व्यापारीकी भाँति महान् दुःखसे व्याप्त हो अर्जुनने युधिष्ठिरसे इस प्रकार पूछा--
sañjaya uvāca | duḥkhena mahatāviṣṭo yudhiṣṭhiram apṛcchat |
Sañjaya said: Overwhelmed by intense sorrow, he questioned Yudhiṣṭhira. Like a merchant whose ship has been shattered, he lamented again and again; and, consumed by grief, Arjuna spoke to Yudhiṣṭhira in this manner.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical weight of war: even the greatest heroes can be morally and emotionally shaken. It frames inquiry and counsel—turning to a dharmic authority (Yudhiṣṭhira) in moments of collapse—as a necessary step toward regaining clarity and right action.
Sañjaya narrates that Arjuna, repeatedly lamenting and overwhelmed by great sorrow, approaches and questions Yudhiṣṭhira. The simile of a shipwrecked merchant conveys Arjuna’s sense of ruin and helplessness before he speaks further.