Mahabharata 3.39.63 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 39, Shloka 63

Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas

Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva

Devanagari script

निरुच्छवासो5 भवच्चैव संनिरुद्धों महात्मना । पपात भूम्यां निश्चेष्टो गतसत्त्व इवाभवत्‌

Transliteration

nirucchvāso 'bhavac caiva saṁniruddho mahātmanā | papāta bhūmyāṁ niśceṣṭo gatasattva ivābhavat ||

Translation

So vollständig war er von jenem Großgesinnten gebändigt, dass ihm der Atem ausging. Er stürzte zu Boden, reglos, als wäre seine Lebenskraft von ihm gewichen.

Word by Word

• निरुच्छ्वासः: breathless
• निरुच्छ्वासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरुच्छ्वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• संनिरुद्धः: fully restrained/checked
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संनिरुद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• पपात: fell
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भूम्याम्: on the ground
• भूम्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• निश्चेष्टः: motionless
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चेष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गतसत्त्वः: with life-force gone
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गतसत्त्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अभवत्: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

किरयात उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kirāta (hunter-form speaker)
• Mahātmā (the great-souled restrainer, i.e., Śiva in context)
• Arjuna (implied by narrative context)
• Bhūmi (earth/ground)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Human prowess is limited; when confronted by a higher divine agency, ethical strength lies in restraint, humility, and recognizing the proper hierarchy of power (dharma) rather than persisting in ego-driven struggle.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Kirāta episode, the speaker describes the hero being completely checked by a great being; his breathing stops, he collapses to the earth, and lies motionless as if lifeless—signaling the overwhelming superiority of the divine opponent and setting the stage for recognition and transformation.