Shloka 51

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)

Devanagari script

केचिदग्रासिना छिन्ना: पाण्डवेन महात्मना । विनेदुर्भिन्नमर्माणो निपेतुश्चव गतासव:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | kecid agrāsiṇā chinnāḥ pāṇḍavena mahātmanā | vinedur bhinnamarmāṇo nipetuś ca gatāsavaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Certains furent tranchés par le puissant fils de Pāṇḍu d’un coup d’épée ; leurs points vitaux furent brisés et, poussant des cris de douleur, ils tombèrent à terre privés de vie. Le vers souligne l’immédiateté funeste du combat : sur le champ, prouesse et devoir se traduisent en conséquences rapides et irréversibles pour les êtres incarnés.

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (of them)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क- (किम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अग्रासिना: with a sword
• अग्रासिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्रासि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• छिन्नाः: cut off / severed
• छिन्नाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिद् (धातु) → छिन्न (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पाण्डवेन: by the Pandava
• पाण्डवेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (one)
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• विनेदुः: they roared / cried out
• विनेदुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नद् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural

• भिन्नमर्माणः: whose vital spots were pierced
• भिन्नमर्माणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न (क्त) + मर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निपेतुः: they fell down
• निपेतुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) उपसर्ग: नि-
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अवगतासवः: deprived of life / lifeless
• अवगतासवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवगत (क्त) + असु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍava (Bhīmasena, implied by context)
• sword (khadga/agrāsi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the stark reality of righteous warfare as conceived in the epic: when battle is joined under kṣatriya-dharma, decisive action brings immediate karmic and physical consequences—life is fragile, and violence, even when duty-bound, is grave and irreversible.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the Pāṇḍava warrior (contextually Bhīmasena) striking down opponents with his sword; their vital points are shattered, they cry out, and then collapse lifeless on the battlefield.