Shloka 43
युधिष्ठिरस्य धनंजय-प्रति गर्हा
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Reproach to Dhanaṃjaya
तदड्जात् पुरुषेन्द्रस्य भ्रष्ट वर्म व्यरोचत । रत्नैरलंकृतं चित्रैव्यभ्रं नेशि यथा नभ:
tad aṅgajāt puruṣendrasya bhraṣṭa-varma vyarocata | ratnair alaṅkṛtaṃ citrair vyabhraṃ neśi yathā nabhaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: From the body of that lord among men, the fallen coat of mail shone brilliantly—adorned with many-colored jewels—like the cloudless sky gleaming in its pure expanse. In the midst of battle’s violence, the image underscores how even the finest protections and ornaments are ultimately cast off, reminding the listener of the fragility of worldly splendor before fate and the moral weight of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a striking simile to suggest the impermanence of external protections and splendor: even jewel-adorned armor can fall away in the press of destiny and battle, pointing to the limits of worldly security amid the ethical gravity of war.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where a great warrior’s armor has slipped or fallen from his body, yet it still gleams brilliantly with jeweled decoration, compared to the radiance of a cloudless sky.