करिणां बृंहतां युद्धे शङ्खदुन्दुभिनिस्वनम् ॥
ज्याक्षेपशरवर्षाणां शस्त्राणां च सहिष्णवः ॥
आशंसन्तः पराञ् जेतुं जितश्वासा जितव्यथाः ॥
हयाः प्रजविताः शीघ्रा भारद्वाजरथोद्वहाः ॥
ते स्म रुक्मरथे युक्ता नरवीरसमाहिताः ॥
कथं नाभ्यतरंस् तात पाण्डवानाम् अनीकिनीम् ॥
kariṇāṃ bṛṃhatāṃ yuddhe śaṅkhadundubhinisvanam ||
jyākṣepaśaravarṣāṇāṃ śastrāṇāṃ ca sahiṣṇavaḥ ||
āśaṃsantaḥ parāñ jetuṃ jitaśvāsā jitavyathāḥ ||
hayāḥ prajavitāḥ śīghrā bhāradvājarathodvahāḥ ||
te sma rukmarathe yuktā naravīrasamāhitāḥ ||
kathaṃ nābhyataraṃs tāta pāṇḍavānām anīkinīm ||
Unperturbed in battle by the trumpeting of roaring elephants, by the voice of conches and kettledrums, by the twang of bowstrings, showers of arrows and the clash of blades; expecting to overcome the enemy, in command of their own breath, having conquered all agitation, swift, spurred to speed — the horses drawing the chariot of Bharadvaja [Drona] — those harnessed to the golden chariot, guided by a heroic man — how, then, dear one, did they not carry him through the host of the Pandavas?
06f740062c80 · published Jul 19, 2026, 2:46:26 PM UTC
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The king enumerates all the perfections of the horses — their fearlessness, training, swiftness — and the deeper grows his bewilderment: how, with such perfect equipment, did Drona not break free? But the very enumeration conceals the answer he does not wish to see: neither horses, nor chariot, nor charioteer save one whose hour has come. He who trusted in valor and equipment does not understand that these do not decide the outcome. The verse teaches that perfection of means is no guarantee of salvation; that one who lists the virtues of the equipment, seeking to understand a death, is looking in the wrong place; and that fate is fulfilled even through flawless horses — for the limit of life is set not by the soundness of harness but by the will of Time.