Shloka 53
आरुरोह रथं चापि सूतपुत्रप्रतापित: । निः:श्वसन् दुःखसंतप्त: कुम्भस्थ इव पन्नग:,सूतपुत्रके द्वारा सताये हुए नकुल दुःखसे संतप्त हो घड़ेमें बंद किये हुए सर्पके समान दीर्घ नि:श्वास छोड़ते हुए युधिष्ठिरके रथपर चढ़ गये
āruroha rathaṃ cāpi sūtaputra-pratāpitaḥ | niḥśvasan duḥkha-saṃtaptaḥ kumbha-stha iva pannagaḥ ||
サञ्जयは言った。「御者の子（カルナ）に苦しめられ、悲嘆に灼かれて、彼もまた戦車に乗り込んだ—壺に閉じ込められた蛇のように、長い息を吐きながら。これは戦場の道徳的圧力を示す譬えである。武人の外なる平静は、内なる痛みと屈辱に引き裂かれ、それでも義務が行動を促すのだ。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the inner cost of conflict: even a warrior bound to act by role and duty may be inwardly seared by grief and insult. The ethical tension lies in maintaining resolve while acknowledging suffering rather than denying it.
Sañjaya describes a warrior—oppressed by Karṇa—mounting a chariot while exhaling in distress. The simile of a snake trapped in a jar conveys constrained fury, pain, and helplessness amid the ongoing battle.