Shloka 53

Devanagari script

नूनं सप्ताश्वयुक्तेन रथेनोत्तमतेजसा । विमोक्ष्येडहं तदा प्राणान्‌ सुहृदः सुप्रियानिव,'सात घोड़ोंसे जुते हुए उत्तम तेजस्वी रथके द्वारा जब सूर्य कुबेरकी निवासभूत उत्तरदिशाके पथपर आ जायाँगे, उस समय जो राजा मेरे पास आयेंगे, वे मेरी ऊर्ध्व गतिको देख सकेंगे। निश्चय ही उसी समय मैं अत्यन्त प्रियतम सुहृदोंकी भाँति अपने प्यारे प्राणोंका त्याग करूँगा

Transliteration

nūnaṃ saptāśvayuktena rathenottamatejasā | vimokṣye'haṃ tadā prāṇān suhṛdaḥ supriyān iva ||

Translation

ఏడు అశ్వాలతో యుక్తమైన పరమ తేజస్సుగల రథంపై ఆరూఢుడైన సూర్యుడు ఉత్తరాయణ మార్గంలో ప్రవృత్తుడైనప్పుడు, అప్పుడు నేను నా ప్రాణాలను విడిచిపెడతాను—అత్యంత ప్రియమైన సుహృదులనుండి విడిపోవునట్లు.

Word by Word

नूनम्surely, indeed

सप्तseven

अश्वhorse

युक्तेनyoked, harnessed (with)

रथेनby/with the chariot

उत्तमexcellent, supreme

तेजसाwith splendor, with brilliance

विमोक्ष्येI shall release, I shall give up

अहम्I

तदाthen, at that time

प्राणान्life-breaths, life

सुहृदःof a friend, of a well-wisher

सुप्रियान्very dear (ones)

इवlike, as if

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Sūrya (the Sun)

seven-horsed chariot (saptāśva-ratha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames death as a conscious ‘release’ of prāṇa aligned with cosmic time: one should meet inevitable departure with composure and detachment, letting go of life as gently as one parts from beloved friends, rather than clinging in fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya speaks of a destined moment marked by the Sun’s radiant seven-horsed chariot turning to the northern course; at that auspicious time he foresees relinquishing his life-breaths, emphasizing a deliberate, orderly departure rather than a chaotic end.