Shloka 676

अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः

Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces

Devanagari script

केचिद्‌ विभिन्नहृदया: कुड्जरा न्यपतन्‌ भुवि | राजन! भीमसेनकी मार खाकर सारे हाथी भाग चले। कितने ही गजराज हृदय फट जानेके कारण पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े

Transliteration

kecid bhinnahṛdayāḥ kuñjarā nyapatan bhuvi | rājan bhīmasenakī māra khākara sāre hāthī bhāga cale | kitane hī gajarāja hṛdaya phaṭa jāne ke kāraṇa pṛthvīpara gira paṛe |

Translation

قال سنجيا: أيها الملك، إن بعض الفيلة وقد تكسّرت قلوبها سقطت على الأرض. ولما نالتها ضربات بهيماسينا القاصمة ولّت الفيلة هاربة في فزع؛ وسقط كثير من فيلةٍ عظامٍ كالسادة على وجه البسيطة حين خارت عزائمها وانطفأت أرواحها.

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (persons/ones)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क- (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विभिन्नहृदयाः: whose hearts were split/broken
• विभिन्नहृदयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभिन्नहृदय (विभिन्न + हृदय)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कुञ्जराः: elephants
• कुञ्जराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुञ्जर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न्यपतन्: fell down
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada, नि-

• भुवि: on the ground/earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भूमि-सम्बद्ध)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• kuñjara (elephants)
• gajarāja (great elephants)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the devastating momentum of battle: when force and fear overwhelm, even the strongest lose heart and collapse. Ethically, it reflects the grim reality of kṣatriya warfare—power used in war brings mass suffering and the breakdown of courage and life.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīmasena’s attacks have thrown the elephant corps into chaos: some elephants fall dead or incapacitated, and many others flee after being struck, with several great elephants collapsing as their hearts ‘split’ (life and courage failing).