Shloka 56
Devanagari script
बहुपादैर्बहुभुजै: कबन्धैर्घोरदर्शनै:
Transliteration
bahupādair bahubhujaiḥ kabandhair ghoradarśanaiḥ
Translation
Vāyu-deva said: “(The battlefield is filled) with headless trunks—terrifying to behold—endowed with many feet and many arms.”
Word by Word
बहुपादैःwith many feet
बहुपादैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootबहुपाद
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
बहुभुजैःwith many arms
बहुभुजैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootबहुभुज
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
कबन्धैःwith headless trunks (kabandhas)
कबन्धैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootकबन्ध
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
घोरदर्शनैःof dreadful appearance
घोरदर्शनैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootघोरदर्शन
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural
Speaker
वायुदेव उवाच
Characters & Entities
V
Vāyu-devaK
kabandha (headless trunk)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the grim reality of war: even mighty bodies become mutilated remains. It implicitly warns against delusion and pride, pointing to the impermanence of life and the ethical weight of violence.
Vāyu-deva describes a terrifying battlefield scene where decapitated bodies (kabandhas) appear with many limbs, emphasizing the chaos and dread produced by the ongoing slaughter.