Shloka 83

कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५९

Arjuna Breaks the Encirclement; Bhīma Reinforces

Devanagari script

पश्य नीलाम्बुदनिभान्‌ महामात्रैरधिष्ठितान्‌ । शक्तितोमरसंघातैर्विनिध्नन्तं वृकोदरम्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

paśya nīlāmbudanibhān mahāmātrair adhiṣṭhitān |

śaktitomarasaṃghātair vinihnantaṃ vṛkodaram |

Translation

Sañjaya sagte: „Seht Bhīma—Vṛkodara—wie er mit Salven von Speeren und tomara-Wurfspießen jene Elefanten niederstreckt, die dunklen Regenwolken gleichen; jeder wird von einem Mahout gelenkt, der auf seinen Schultern sitzt. Im erbarmungslosen Gedränge der Schlacht schlägt er sich durch Reittiere und Lenker hindurch und macht aus den lebenden Bollwerken des Feindes stürzende Massen.“

Word by Word

• पश्य: see! behold!
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (दृश्-अर्थे)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपद

• नीलाम्बुदनिभान्: resembling dark clouds
• नीलाम्बुदनिभान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नीलाम्बुदनिभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• महामात्रैः: by mahouts/elephant-drivers
• महामात्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• अधिष्ठितान्: mounted/occupied
• अधिष्ठितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधि-स्था (धातु) → अधिष्ठित (कृदन्त)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• शक्तितोमरसंघातैः: with volleys/masses of spears and tomaras
• शक्तितोमरसंघातैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्तितोमरसंघात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• विनिध्नन्तम्: striking down/smiting
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-हन् (धातु) → विनिघ्नत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular, शतृ (present active participle)

• वृकोदरम्: Vrikodara (Bhima)
• वृकोदरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृकोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Vṛkodara (Bhīma)
• elephants
• mahouts/mahāmātras
• śakti (spears)
• tomara (javelins)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the grim reality of kṣatriya warfare: even mighty war-elephants—symbols of royal power—are subject to destruction when opposed by determined valor. It implicitly highlights the ethical weight of battle, where duty-driven heroism operates amid severe violence and loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīma (Vṛkodara) on the battlefield felling enemy elephants that look like dark clouds, along with their mounted drivers, using volleys of spears and tomara-javelins.