Shloka 29
गन्धर्वनगराकारा रथा वा ते नरेश्वरा: । विमानादिदव पुण्यान्ते स्वर्गिणो निपतन्त्यमी
gandharva-nagarākārā rathā vā te nareśvarāḥ | vimānād iva puṇyānte svargiṇo nipatanty amī ||
Arjuna berkata: “Wahai para raja, kereta-kereta perang kamu—besar dan menakjubkan seperti kota-kota Gandharva—kini menjadi sebab kejatuhan kamu sendiri. Lihatlah para pemerintah yang terbunuh itu jatuh, seperti penghuni syurga apabila pahala mereka habis, terjatuh dari kenderaan langit.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Splendor and power—symbolized by magnificent chariots and even heavenly vehicles—are unstable. When merit (puṇya) is spent, exalted states collapse; likewise, worldly greatness in war can end abruptly, warning against pride and attachment to transient status.
In the midst of battle, Arjuna addresses kings, pointing to the fallen rulers and their grand chariots. He compares their downfall to the traditional image of heaven-dwellers falling from vimānas when their accumulated merit runs out, underscoring the sudden reversal of fortune in war.