Shloka 5
Adhyāya 290: Kuntī’s Mantra-Parīkṣā and the Appearance of Sūrya (कुन्ती–सूर्यसंवादः)
रामलक्ष्मणसुग्रीवा: शरस्पर्श न तेडनघ । समर्था: प्रतिसोढुुं च कुतस्तदनुयायिन:,“अनघ! स्वयं राम, लक्ष्मण और सुग्रीव भी तुम्हारे बाणोंका आघात सहन करनेमें समर्थ नहीं हैं, फिर उनके अनुयायी तो हो ही कैसे सकते हैं?
rāma-lakṣmaṇa-sugrīvāḥ śara-sparśaṁ na te ’n-agha | samarthāḥ pratisoḍhuṁ ca kutas tad-anuyāyinaḥ ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: “O sinless one, even Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Sugrīva themselves are not capable of enduring the touch of your arrows; how then could their followers possibly withstand it?”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses comparative praise to highlight overwhelming martial prowess: if even the foremost leaders cannot endure the opponent’s arrows, ordinary followers are even less able. Ethically, it underscores realistic assessment of strength and the danger of reckless escalation.
Mārkaṇḍeya addresses a “blameless” person and emphasizes the irresistible force of that person’s arrows, stating that even Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Sugrīva could not bear their impact—thereby implying the futility of resistance by their attendants.