Shloka 19

धृतराष्ट्रस्य उपालम्भः तथा पाण्डव-समाश्वासनम् | Dhṛtarāṣṭra Reproved and the Pāṇḍavas Consoled

Devanagari script

ततः पपात मेदिन्यां तथैव रुधिरोक्षित: । प्रपुष्पिताग्रशिखर: पारिजात इव द्रुम:,वे उसी अवस्थामें खूनसे भींगकर पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े, मानो ऊपरकी डालीपर खिले हुए लाल फूलोंसे सुशोभित पारिजातका वृक्ष धराशायी हो गया हो

Transliteration

tataḥ papāta medinyāṃ tathaiva rudhirokṣitaḥ | prapuṣpitāgraśikharaḥ pārijāta iva drumaḥ ||

Translation

Then, drenched in blood, he fell upon the earth—like a pārijāta tree brought down, whose topmost crown is still adorned with blossoms. The image underscores the tragic waste of life after war: even what is noble and splendid can be felled, leaving only a poignant beauty amid ruin.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)

• पपात: fell
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• मेदिन्याम्: on the earth/ground
• मेदिन्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, locative, singular

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• रुधिर: with blood
• रुधिर: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• उक्षितः: sprinkled/drenched
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उक्ष् (धातु) → उक्षित (क्त-कृदन्त)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• प्रपुष्पित: fully blossomed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√पुष्प्/पुष्प (धातु/नाम) → प्रपुष्पित (क्त-कृदन्त, भावे/कर्मणि)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• अग्र: at the tip/top
• अग्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• शिखरः: peak, top
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• पारिजातः: the pārijāta tree
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारिजात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)

• द्रुमः: tree
• द्रुमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• pṛthivī/medinī (earth)
• pārijāta (celestial tree)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the fragility of embodied life and the sorrowful cost of violence: even a figure compared to a splendid, blossoming tree can be suddenly brought down. It invites reflection on the ethical devastation of war and the impermanence of worldly glory.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the aftermath being narrated by Vaiśaṃpāyana, a blood-soaked warrior collapses onto the earth. The fall is poetically likened to a blossoming pārijāta tree whose crown is beautiful yet is felled and lies on the ground.