Shloka 19
Adhyāya 290: Kuntī’s Mantra-Parīkṣā and the Appearance of Sūrya (कुन्ती–सूर्यसंवादः)
ततो हताश्चात् प्रस्कन्द्य रथात् स हतसारथि:
tato hatāś cāt praskandya rathāt sa hatasārathiḥ
ನಂತರ ಅವನು ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ಹತಾಶನಾಗಿ ರಥದಿಂದ ಜಿಗಿದು ಇಳಿದನು; ಅವನ ಸಾರಥಿ ಹತನಾಗಿದ್ದನು—ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಧಾರ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡುದರ ಕಠೋರ ಭಾರ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ತೋರಿತು।
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how swiftly fortune turns in battle: when a key support (the charioteer) is lost, even a warrior’s resolve can falter. It implicitly underscores dependence, vulnerability, and the ethical gravity of warfare where the fall of one person can unravel another’s capacity to act.
In Markandeya’s narration, a warrior—now without his charioteer—becomes despondent and abruptly jumps down from his chariot, indicating a critical turning point in the combat situation.