Shloka 231

भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः

Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā

Devanagari script

सो5तिविद्धो महेष्वासस्तोत्रार्दित इव द्विप:

Transliteration

so 'tividdho maheṣvāsas totrārdita iva dvipaḥ

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Aunque era un arquero poderoso, quedó atravesado de parte a parte, tambaleándose como un elefante atormentado por el aguijón. Así se muestra que, en la guerra, aun los más fuertes son abatidos cuando la violencia perfora el cuerpo y, con él, la resolución.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अतिविद्धः: pierced through; severely wounded
• अतिविद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिविद्ध (वि√व्यध् + अति, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महेष्वासः: great archer
• महेष्वासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तोत्रार्दितः: goad-struck; tormented by a goad
• तोत्रार्दितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तोत्रार्दित (तोत्र + √अर्द्/अर्दय्, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if; like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• द्विपः: an elephant
• द्विपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• द्विप (elephant)
• तोत्र (elephant-goad)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the vulnerability of even the most powerful warriors: martial prowess does not exempt one from pain and collapse when struck. Ethically, it points to the harsh truth of war—strength is tested and often broken by inflicted suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a great archer who has been grievously wounded. To convey his distress and loss of steadiness, he compares him to an elephant driven and tormented by an elephant-goad.