Shloka 5
Koṭikāśya’s Inquiry to the Radiant Woman near the Kadamba (कोटिकाश्यप्रश्नः)
उच्चैराकाशमार्गेण ह्ृता:स्मस्तै: सुदुःखिता: । अथ न: सैनिका: केचिदमात्याश्ष महारथा:
uccair ākāśa-mārgeṇa hṛtāḥ sma tais suduḥkhitāḥ | atha naḥ sainikāḥ kecid amātyāś ca mahārathāḥ ||
“We were carried off by them through the high path of the sky and were plunged into extreme distress. And now, some of our soldiers, along with ministers and great chariot-warriors, (have also been taken/overpowered).”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the vulnerability of worldly power: even kings and elite warriors can be suddenly overpowered, leading to humiliation and suffering. It implicitly warns that arrogance and hostility invite consequences, and that strength without restraint does not guarantee security.
Duryodhana reports that he and his party were seized and carried through the sky by opponents (unnamed here), causing great distress; he adds that some of his troops, ministers, and great warriors have also been taken or subdued, emphasizing the scale of the setback.