Shloka 53

Devanagari script

विध्वस्ता हि रणे पार्थ सेनेयं भीमविक्रम

Transliteration

vidhvastā hi raṇe pārtha seneyaṃ bhīmavikrama

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O Pārtha, this army has indeed been shattered in battle by the mighty prowess of Bhīma.”

Word by Word

• विध्वस्ता: destroyed, shattered
• विध्वस्ता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विध्वस्त (वि-ध्वंस् धातोः क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पार्थ: O Partha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सेना: army
• सेना: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भीमविक्रम: O one of terrible prowess
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम-विक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Bhīma
• the army (senā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the stark moral weight of war: prowess and duty (kṣatriya-dharma) can bring decisive victory, yet that victory is measured in the shattering of entire hosts—reminding the listener that martial excellence carries grave consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, addressing Arjuna as “Pārtha,” that the army on the field has been routed—attributed here to Bhīma’s overwhelming valor in the ongoing battle of the Karṇa Parva.