Shloka 17
क्षीणशस्त्रास्त्रकवच: क्षीणबाणो विबाणधि: । श्रान्तसारथिवाहश्न च्छन्नो<स्त्रैररिभिस्तथा
kṣīṇaśastrāstrakavacaḥ kṣīṇabāṇo vibāṇadhiḥ | śrāntasārathivāhaś ca channo 'strair aribhis tathā ||
Sañjaya said: He had been stripped of weapons, missiles, and armor; his arrows were spent and his quiver emptied. His charioteer and horses were exhausted, and he was likewise covered over—hemmed in on all sides—by the enemy’s weapons. The verse underscores the grim ethics of war: valor is tested not only by striking, but by enduring when strength, protection, and resources are depleted.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness under extreme depletion—when weapons, protection, and support fail. In the Mahabharata’s war-ethic, true valor includes endurance and composure amid overwhelming pressure, not merely offensive success.
Sañjaya describes a warrior in dire straits: weapons and armor are lost or spent, arrows are exhausted, the quiver is empty, and even the charioteer and horses are worn out, while enemy missiles continue to rain down, surrounding and covering him.