Shloka 129

Devanagari script

उस समय घटोत्कचने अत्यन्त कुपित होकर विष और अग्निके समान भयंकर दस सुदृढ़ बाणोंद्वारा कृपीकुमार अश्वत्थामाकी छातीमें गहरा आघात किया ।। स तैरभ्याहतो गाढं शरैर्भीमसुतेरितै: । चचाल रथमध्यस्थो वातोद्धत इव द्रुम:,भीमपुत्र घटोत्कचके चलाये हुए उन बाणोंद्वारा गहरी चोट खाकर रथमें बैठा हुआ अश्व॒ृत्थामा वायुके झकझोरे हुए वृक्षके समान काँपने लगा

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | sa tair abhyāhato gāḍhaṃ śarair bhīmasuteritaiḥ | cacāla rathamadhyastho vātoddhata iva drumaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Struck hard by those dreadful arrows loosed by Bhīma’s son, Aśvatthāmā—seated in the midst of his chariot—reeled and trembled like a tree shaken by a violent wind.

Word by Word

सःhe (Aśvatthāmā)

तैःby those

अभ्याहतःstruck, smitten

गाढम्deeply, severely

शरैःby arrows

भीमसुतेरितैःsent/impelled by Bhīma's son (Ghaṭotkaca)

चचालshook, trembled, reeled

रथ-मध्य-स्थःstanding/sitting in the middle of the chariot

वात-उद्धतःshaken by the wind

इवlike, as

द्रुमःa tree

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

अ

अश्वत्थामा (Aśvatthāmā)

घ

घटोत्कच (Ghaṭotkaca)

भ

भीम (Bhīma)

र

रथ (chariot)

श

शर/बाण (arrows)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral gravity of warfare: power and pride are fragile under the force of consequences. In the dharmic frame of the epic, combat may be a duty for warriors, yet it still exposes all sides to suffering, reversal, and the escalating cycle of retaliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ghaṭotkaca, Bhīma’s son, shoots fierce arrows that strike Aśvatthāmā hard. Aśvatthāmā, seated in his chariot, reels and trembles—likened to a tree buffeted by strong wind—showing the intensity of the assault.