Mahabharata 7.189.11 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 189, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

भूमावश्रूयत महांस्तदा55सीत्‌ कृपणं महत्‌ | पततां पात्यमानानां पत्त्यश्वरथदन्तिनाम्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | bhūmāv aśrūyata mahāṁs tadā śabdaḥ kṛpaṇo mahān | patatāṁ pātyamānānāṁ patty-aśva-ratha-dantinām ||

Translation

قال سنجيا: عندئذٍ سُمِعَ على وجه الأرض دويٌّ عظيمٌ مُفجِع. كان ذلك الصراخَ الجليلَ العاجزَ لرجّالةِ الجيشِ والخيولِ وسائقي العجلاتِ الحربيةِ والفيلة—منهم من يسقط ومنهم من يُصرَع—كاشفًا بؤسَ ما تُنزله الحربُ حين تُحطَّم الأجسادُ وتُدفَع الأرواحُ إلى الخراب.

Word by Word

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अश्रूयत: was heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Passive (Karmani), Third, Singular

• महान्: great
• महान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

• कृपणम्: piteous, wretched
• कृपणम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• महत्: great
• महत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पतताम्: of those falling
• Type: Verb
• Root: पतत्
• Form: Present active participle (Śatṛ), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• पात्यमानानाम्: of those being made to fall / being felled
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Present passive participle (Śānac/Karmani), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• पत्त्य: of foot-soldiers
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्ति
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अश्व: of horses
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• रथ: of chariots / chariot-warriors
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• दन्तिनाम्: of elephants / elephant-warriors
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्तिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• bhūmi (earth/ground)
• patti (infantry)
• aśva (horses)
• ratha (chariots)
• dantin (elephants)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical cost of warfare: beyond strategy and victory, battle produces a 'kṛpaṇa'—a pitiable, helpless—outcry. It invites reflection on compassion and the human (and animal) suffering that accompanies violence, even within a dharma-framed conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield soundscape: a huge, mournful roar rises from those falling and being felled—infantry, horses, chariots, and elephants—capturing the chaos and misery of the ongoing slaughter.