स्वतन्त्र भारतके अन्तिम नरेश पृथ्वीराज युद्धभूमि में पड़े थे। उन्हें इतने घाव लगे थे कि अपने स्थानसे वे न खिसक सकते थे, न हाथ उठा सकते थे। सच तो यह था कि वे मूर्छित थे। उन्हें अपने शरीरका पता ही नहीं था। उनके सैनिक पीछे हट गये थे। युद्धभूमिमें केवल आहत सैनिकोंका क्रन्दन बच रहा था। सैकड़ों, सहस्रों गीध उतर आये थे युद्ध भूमिमें। वे मृत या मृतप्राय सैनिकोंको नोच-नोचकर अपना पेट भरनेमें लगे थे।
गीधोंका एक समुदाय पृथ्वीराजकी ओर बढ़ा आ रहा था। पृथ्वीराजसे थोड़ी ही दूरपर उनके अङ्गरक्षक सामन्त संयमराय पड़े थे। संयमराय मूर्छित नहीं थे; किंतु इतने घायल थे कि उठना तो दूर खिसकनाभी उनके लिये असम्भव था। पृथ्वीराजकी ओर उन्होंने गीधोंको बढ़ते देखा। उस वीरने सोचा- ‘जिसकी रक्षाका भार मुझपर था, मेरे देखते हुए गीध उसे नोचें तो मुझे धिक्कार है।’ संयमरायने बगलमें पड़ी तलवार उठा ली और अपने शरीरका मांस टुकड़े-टुकड़े काटकर गीधोंकी ओर फेंकने लगे। गीध इन मांसके टुकड़ोंको खानेमें लग गये।
पृथ्वीराजके सैनिक सेवक उनकी शोधमें निकले। जबतक पहुँचे, तबतक वीर संयमराय मृत्युके निकट पहुँच चुके थे। उनके पार्थिव शरीरकी रक्षा नहीं हो सकी; किंतु काल भी उनकी उज्ज्वल कीर्तिको नष्ट करनेमें असमर्थ हो गया।
Prithviraj, the last king of independent India, was lying on the battlefield. He was so wounded that he could neither move nor raise his hand. The truth was that he was unconscious. He was not aware of his body at all. His soldiers had retreated. Only the cries of injured soldiers were left in the battlefield. Hundreds, thousands of vultures had descended on the battlefield. They were engaged in filling their stomach by scratching the dead or dying soldiers.
A community of vultures was moving towards Prithviraj. At a little distance from Prithviraj, his bodyguard Samant Sanyam Rai was lying. Sanyam Rai was not unconscious; But he was so injured that it was impossible for him to get up and even move away. He saw vultures moving towards Prithviraj. That hero thought – ‘If the vultures scratch the one whose protection was on me, in my view, I will be cursed.’ Sanyamrayan picked up the sword lying beside him and started cutting his flesh into pieces and throwing it towards the vultures. The vultures started eating these pieces of meat.
Prithviraj’s military servants went out in search of him. By the time he reached, Veer Sanyam Rai had reached near death. His body could not be saved; But even time was unable to destroy his bright fame.
