Shloka 20

वज्रदत्तेन सह अर्जुनयुद्धम्

Arjuna’s engagement with Vajradatta during the Aśvamedha circuit

Devanagari script

स तैर्विद्धो महानागो विस्रवन्‌ रुधिरं वभौ । गैरिकाक्तमिवाम्भोडडद्रिरबहुप्रस्रवणं तदा,उन बाणोंसे घायल होकर वह महानाग खूनकी धारा बहाने लगा। उस समय वह गेरूमिश्रित जलकी धारा बहानेवाले अनेक झरनोंसे युक्त पर्वतके समान जान पड़ता था

Transliteration

sa tair viddho mahānāgo visravan rudhiraṃ vabhau | gairikāktaṃ ivāmbhoda-drir bahu-prasravaṇaṃ tadā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Pierced by those arrows, the mighty elephant began to pour forth streams of blood. At that moment he seemed like a rain-bearing mountain, streaked with red ochre, from which many springs gush—an image that deepens the pathos of violence and the stark cost of martial action.

Word by Word

सःhe/that (one)

तैःby those (arrows)

विद्धःpierced/wounded

महानागःthe great elephant

विस्रवन्flowing forth, streaming

रुधिरम्blood

वभौshone/appeared

गैरिकाक्तम्smeared/tinged with red ochre

इवlike, as if

अम्भोदःcloud

अद्रिःmountain

बहुप्रस्रवणम्having many springs/streams

तदाthen, at that time

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

mahānāga (great elephant)

arrows (bāṇa)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes