Shloka 54

Devanagari script

भूमौ निपतिताश्चान्ये बहवो विजयैषिण: । तत्र तत्र व्यदृश्यन्त पुरुषा: शूरमानिन:

Transliteration

bhūmau nipatitāścānye bahavo vijayaiṣiṇaḥ | tatra tatra vyadṛśyanta puruṣāḥ śūramāninaḥ ||

Translation

संजय बोले—विजय की अभिलाषा से प्रेरित बहुत-से अन्य लोग भी भूमि पर गिर पड़े थे। यहाँ-वहाँ वे पुरुष दिखाई दे रहे थे, जो अपने को शूरवीर मानते थे।

Word by Word

भूमौon the ground

निपतिताःfallen down

चand

अन्येothers

बहवःmany

विजयैषिणःseeking victory

तत्रthere

तत्रhere and there

व्यदृश्यन्तwere seen/appeared

पुरुषाःmen

शूरमानिनःthinking themselves heroes / proud of valor

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

भ

भूमि (the ground/earth)

प

पुरुषाः (warriors/men)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical irony of war: those who chase victory and take pride in heroism are still subject to sudden downfall. It cautions against overconfidence and reminds that ambition and self-image cannot shield one from the consequences of violence and fate on the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the दृश्य (scene) of the battlefield: many warriors, intent on winning, have been struck down and lie scattered in different places. The line paints a stark tableau of bodies ‘here and there,’ emphasizing the scale and indiscriminate devastation of the fighting.