Shloka 316

Devanagari script

रुधिरौघपरिक्लिन्न: प्रविश्य विपुलं तम: | आपके पुत्रद्वारा ताड़ित होकर चेकितान अत्यन्त मूर्च्छित हो रथकी बैठकमें गिर पड़ा। उस समय उसका सारा शरीर खूनसे लथपथ हो गया था

Transliteration

rudhiraughapariklinnaḥ praviśya vipulaṃ tamaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Soaked in a torrent of blood, he sank into vast darkness—overwhelmed and losing consciousness after being struck down by your son. Chekitāna collapsed into the seat of his chariot, his whole body drenched in blood, marking the brutal immediacy of war and the tragic cost of martial prowess when it turns into sheer destruction.

Word by Word

रुधिरौघपरिक्लिन्नःsoaked all around with a flood/stream of blood

प्रविश्यhaving entered

विपुलम्vast, great

तमःdarkness

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

your son (Duryodhana / a Kaurava prince, as addressed to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Chekitāna

chariot (ratha)

chariot-seat (ratha-upastha/āsana implied)

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 underscores the grim ethical reality of war: heroism and martial skill can culminate in catastrophic suffering. It invites reflection on the limits of kṣatriya-dharma when the battlefield reduces persons to blood and unconsciousness, highlighting the human cost behind claims of victory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Chekitāna, struck by Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son, becomes severely wounded, drenched in blood, and falls unconscious—collapsing into his chariot-seat as he ‘enters darkness’ (a poetic expression for swooning).