Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 34

Duryodhana-patana-anuśocana

The Fall of Duryodhana and the Contest of Restraint

Devanagari script

जर्जरीकृतसर्वाड्री रुधिरेणाभिसम्प्लुतौ | ददृशाते हिमवति पुष्पिताविव किंशुकौ

Transliteration

jarjarīkṛtasarvāṅgī rudhireṇābhisamplutau | dadṛśāte himavati puṣpitāv iva kiṃśukau ||

Translation

ગદાના પ્રહારો વડે તેમના સર્વ અંગો જર્જરિત થયા હતા અને બંને લોહીમાં તરબતર હતા; તે સ્થિતિમાં તેઓ હિમવંત પર ફૂલેલા બે કિংশુક (પલાશ) વૃક્ષો જેવા દેખાતા હતા।

Word by Word

• जर्जरीकृत: made shattered / broken
• जर्जरीकृत: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जर्जरीकृत (कृदन्त; जर्जर + कृ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• सर्वाड्री: all limbs (of the two)
• सर्वाड्री: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• रुधिरेण: with blood
• रुधिरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अभिसम्प्लुतौ: completely drenched / flooded
• अभिसम्प्लुतौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-सम्-प्लु (धातु) / सम्प्लुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• ददृशाते: were seen / appeared
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Dual, Ātmanepada

• हिमवति: on/in Himavat (the Himalaya)
• हिमवति: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पुष्पितौ: in bloom / flowered
• पुष्पितौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्पित (कृदन्त; पुष्प्/पुष्प + इत)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

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

• किंशुकौ: two palāśa trees (Butea monosperma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंशुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyudeva)
• हिमवत् (Himālaya)
• गदा (mace, implied by context of blows)
• किंशुक/पलाश (kiṃśuka/palāśa tree)
• रुधिर (blood)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a powerful simile to show how the splendor of martial valor can coexist with, and even be inseparable from, grievous harm. It invites ethical reflection: war may produce striking ‘heroic’ scenes, yet its reality is bodily ruin and bloodshed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Two combatants, battered by mace-blows and soaked in blood, are being described as they appear on the Himālaya—likened to two palāśa (kiṃśuka) trees in bloom, whose red flowers evoke the redness of blood.