Shloka 11
अध्याय ५३ — रणमेघोपमा सेना-वर्णना तथा सुषेण-वधोत्तर प्रतिक्रिया
Battle-as-Storm Imagery and the Aftermath of Suṣeṇa’s Fall
तत्राद्भुतमपश्याम शिलानां प्लवनं यथा । निश्चैष्टस्तद् रणे राजन् शिखण्डी समतिष्ठत,राजन! रणक्षेत्रमें शिखण्डी निश्चेष्ट होकर खड़ा रहा, यह वहाँ पत्थरके तैरनेके समान हमलोगोंने अद्भुत बात देखी
tatrādbhūtam apaśyāma śilānāṃ plavanaṃ yathā | niścaiṣṭas tad raṇe rājan śikhaṇḍī samatiṣṭhata ||
Sañjaya nói: “Ở đó chúng ta đã chứng kiến điều kỳ lạ—như đá nổi trên mặt nước. Trong trận ấy, tâu Đại vương, Śikhaṇḍī đứng bất động, như bị tước mất mọi sức gắng gượng.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, amid war, events can appear utterly unnatural—suggesting the overpowering force of circumstance (daiva) and the psychological paralysis that can seize even a warrior. It underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring theme that human agency may falter when confronted with fear, shock, or destiny-driven turns.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that on the battlefield they saw an astonishing sight: Śikhaṇḍī remained standing without action. The stillness is compared to the impossible image of stones floating, emphasizing how unexpected and striking Śikhaṇḍī’s inaction appeared in the midst of combat.