Shloka 53

Droṇa’s Ācārya-Dakṣiṇā: Capture of Drupada and Division of Pāñcāla (द्रोण-आचार्यदक्षिणा)

Devanagari script

शीतं वातं समासाद्य श्रान्तो मदविमोहित: । विषेण च परीताड़्रो निश्रैष्ट: पाण्डुनन्दन:,पाण्डुनन्दन भीम थके तो थे ही, विषके मदसे भी अचेत हो रहे थे। उनके अंग-अंगमें विषका प्रभाव फैल गया था। अतः वहाँ ठंडी हवा पाकर ऐसे सोये कि जडके समान निश्रेष्ट प्रतीत होने लगे

Transliteration

śītaṃ vātaṃ samāsādya śrānto madavimohitaḥ | viṣeṇa ca parītāḍro niśraiṣṭaḥ pāṇḍunandanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Erschöpft und in den Sinnen vom Taumel des Giftes umnebelt, legte sich der Sohn Pāṇḍus, als ihn ein kühler Hauch erreichte, nieder. Da das Gift sich in seinen Gliedern ausbreitete, erschien er völlig reglos, wie gänzlich erstarrt.

Word by Word

शीतम्cold (air/coolness)

वातम्wind

समासाद्यhaving reached/obtained

श्रान्तःtired

मद-विमोहितःstupefied by intoxication (poison-drunkenness)

विषेणby poison

चand

परीताड्रःafflicted/struck (all over)

निश्रैष्टःmotionless, inert (as if lifeless)

पाण्डु-नन्दनःson of Pandu (Bhima)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍunandana (Bhīma)

poison (viṣa)

cool wind/breeze (vāta)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the fragility of embodied strength: even a powerful hero can be incapacitated by unseen danger like poison. Ethically, it points to the need for vigilance, care for companions, and awareness that harm may come through covert means rather than open confrontation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīma, the son of Pāṇḍu, is exhausted and mentally clouded due to poison. Reaching a cool breeze, he lies down and becomes still; the venom’s effect spreads through his body so that he appears inert, setting up the crisis that follows in the poisoning episode.