Shloka 59
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
ततो रुक्मरथो राजन् सायकेन दृढाहतः । निषसाद रथोपस्थे कश्मलं चाविशन्महत्
tato rukmaratho rājan sāyakena dṛḍhāhataḥ | niṣasāda rathopasthe kaśmalaṃ cāviśan mahat ||
三阇耶说道：于是，噢，大王，鲁克摩罗他被一箭重创，便瘫坐在战车座上，巨大的昏眩与惶惚（迷乱的苦恼）袭上心头。战场叙事借此昭示：武勇之势可被一记精准之击瞬间遏止；也提醒听者，肉身之强与傲气之盛，在命运的运转与战争的业果之前，皆何其脆弱。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the vulnerability of the body and the sudden reversals inherent in war: even a capable warrior can be brought to collapse by a single strike. Ethically, it points to the grave cost of conflict and the humbling of pride, reinforcing the Mahābhārata’s recurring reminder that power and life are unstable amid karma and battlefield duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warrior Rukmaratha is hit hard by an arrow. Severely wounded, he slumps onto the chariot-seat and is seized by intense faintness or confusion, indicating he is momentarily incapacitated in the fight.