अथ यान् रथिनो राजन् समन्ताद् अनुपश्यसि ॥
एते रुक्मरथा नाम राजपुत्रा महारथाः ॥
रथेष्व् अस्त्रेषु निपुणा नागेषु च विशां पते ॥
धनुर्वेदे गताः पारं मुष्टियुद्धे च कोविदाः ॥
गदायुद्धविशेषज्ञा नियुद्धकुशलास् तथा ॥
खड्गप्रहरणे युक्ताः संपाते चासिचर्मणोः ॥
शूराश् च कृतविद्याश् च स्पर्धन्ते च परस्परम् ॥
नित्यं च समरे राजन् विजिगीषन्ति मानवान् ॥
atha yān rathino rājan samantād anupaśyasi ||
ete rukmarathā nāma rājaputrā mahārathāḥ ||
ratheṣv astreṣu nipuṇā nāgeṣu ca viśāṃ pate ||
dhanurvede gatāḥ pāraṃ muṣṭiyuddhe ca kovidāḥ ||
gadāyuddhaviśeṣajñā niyuddhakuśalās tathā ||
khaḍgapraharaṇe yuktāḥ saṃpāte cāsicarmaṇoḥ ||
śūrāś ca kṛtavidyāś ca spardhante ca parasparam ||
nityaṃ ca samare rājan vijigīṣanti mānavān ||
"Further, whatever charioteers you see on every side, O king, are these named Rukmarathas — princes, great warriors, skilled in chariots, in weapons, and in fighting on elephants, O lord of peoples; who have reached the utmost in the science of the bow, are versed in fist-fighting, are experts in mace combat, skilled in wrestling, adept at the sword-stroke and in the clash of sword and shield — heroes and trained men, who vie with one another and, ever in battle, O king, long to surpass other men."
530af10c4e3d · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:02:23 PM UTC
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The Rukmarathas are refined in every kind of combat, and "spardhante parasparam… vijigīṣanti mānavān" — they eternally compete and long to surpass everyone. It is significant that their skill is intertwined with ambition. The verse teaches that mastery driven by the thirst to excel over all remains restless: one who fights to rise above others knows no peace even in his own skill, for ambition, unlike duty, is insatiable and turns a gift into an instrument of rivalry.