Shloka 62

Devanagari script

सा निर्भिद्य भुजं सव्यं पाण्डवस्य महात्मन:

Transliteration

sā nirbhidya bhujaṃ savyaṃ pāṇḍavasya mahātmanaḥ, nipapāta tadā bhūmau yathā vidyunnabhaścyutā |

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Aquella lanza, tras atravesar el brazo izquierdo del magnánimo Pāṇḍava, cayó al instante a tierra—como un relámpago que se desploma del cielo. La escena subraya la brutal inmediatez de la guerra: aun los guerreros más poderosos están expuestos a una herida súbita, y el campo de batalla puede girar por un solo golpe, fatal y decisivo.

Word by Word

• सा: she/that (weapon)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• निर्भिद्य: having pierced
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्भिद् (नि + √भिद्)
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada/Active (usage), having pierced/split

• भुजम्: arm
• भुजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सव्यम्: left
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सव्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पाण्डवस्य: of the Pandava
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• निपपात: fell down
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + √पत्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• यथा: as/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• विद्युत्: lightning
• विद्युत्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्युत्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नभः: from the sky
• नभः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस्
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• च्युता: fallen/dropped
• Type: Verb
• Root: च्युत (√च्यु)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (kta), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍava (Bhīmasena implied by context)
• śakti (spear/weapon, implied by context)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the stark ethics of the battlefield: in kṣatriya warfare, decisive action and endurance amid sudden harm are expected, while the imagery of lightning suggests the unpredictability and inevitability of injury and reversal in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

A powerful spear (śakti) strikes and pierces the Pāṇḍava’s left arm (contextually Bhīma), then immediately drops to the ground, compared to lightning falling from the sky—marking a dramatic, wounding moment in the combat.