Mahabharata 7.95.39 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 95, Shloka 39

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 95 — Sātyaki’s Breakthrough and the Routing of Allied Contingents

Devanagari script

शोणितं निर्वमन्ति सम द्विपा: पार्थशराहता: । सहस्नशश्किन्नगात्रा: सारोहा: सपदानुगा:

Transliteration

śoṇitaṃ nirvamanti sma dvipāḥ pārthaśarāhatāḥ | sahasraśaś chinnagātrāḥ sārohāḥ sapadānugāḥ ||

Translation

قال سنجيا: وقد أصابت سهام بارثا (أرجونا) الفيلة بالآلاف، فكانت تقذف الدم من أفواهها. وبأطرافٍ مقطّعة وممزّقة، سقطت مع راكبيها ومع المشاة الذين كانوا يتبعونها.

Word by Word

• शोणितम्: blood
• शोणितम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोणित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• निर्वमन्ति: they vomit/emit
• Type: Verb
• Root: वम् (वमन)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• सम्: together/entirely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्

• द्विपाः: elephants
• द्विपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पार्थशराहताः: struck by Arjuna's arrows
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पार्थ-शर-आहत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सहस्रशः: by thousands
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस्

• छिन्नगात्राः: with limbs cut/mutilated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्न-गात्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सारोहाः: having riders (mounted)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-आरोह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सपदानुगाः: having foot-followers/attendants
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-पद-अनुग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• śarāḥ (arrows)
• dvipāḥ (elephants)
• ārohāḥ (riders/mahouts)
• padānugāḥ (foot-followers/infantry attendants)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the grim reality of righteous war (kṣatriya-dharma) in the epic: even when fighting is duty-bound, its consequences are horrific and widespread, affecting not only warriors but also animals and attendants—inviting reflection on the ethical weight of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Arjuna’s arrows devastating the enemy’s elephant corps: elephants in vast numbers, along with their riders and accompanying foot-soldiers, are grievously wounded—vomiting blood and losing limbs—showing Arjuna’s overwhelming battlefield effectiveness.