Shloka 39

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)

Devanagari script

ततो मुमोच कालिड्: शक्ति तामकरोद्‌ द्विधा । खड्गेन पृथुना मध्ये भानुमन्तमथाच्छिनत्‌

Transliteration

tato mumoca kāliṅgaḥ śaktiṃ tām akarod dvidhā | khaḍgena pṛthunā madhye bhānumantam athācchinat ||

Translation

Da schleuderte der Prinz von Kaliṅga seinen Speer. Bhīmasena jedoch spaltete die Waffe in zwei Teile und hieb Bhānumān mit seinem breiten Schwert mitten entzwei. So entscheidet in der erbarmungslosen Logik des Schlachtfeld-Dharma blitzschnelles Gegenhandeln und überlegene Kraft in einem Augenblick über Leben und Tod.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• मुमोच: released, hurled
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• कालिङ्गः: the Kalinga (prince/warrior)
• कालिङ्गः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालिङ्ग
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• शक्तिम्: a spear/javelin (śakti-weapon)
• शक्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• अकरोत्: made, rendered
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• द्विधा: into two, in two parts
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा

• खड्गेन: with a sword
• खड्गेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• पृथुना: broad, large
• पृथुना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृथु
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• भानुमन्तम्: Bhānumant (proper name)
• भानुमन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानुमन्त्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• अथ: then, and then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अच्छिनत्: cut, severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kaliṅga prince (Kaliṅga-rāja-kumāra)
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• Bhānumān
• śakti (spear/javelin)
• khaḍga (sword)
• Kaliṅga

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh immediacy of kṣatriya-dharma in war: a warrior must respond decisively to lethal threats, and prowess combined with presence of mind determines outcomes; ethical reflection lies in recognizing war’s irreversible consequences even when actions follow battlefield duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Kaliṅga prince hurls a śakti (spear) at Bhīma. Bhīma cuts the spear into two and then strikes down Bhānumān by cleaving him through the middle with a broad sword, as Sañjaya reports the events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.