Shloka 48

Devanagari script

अभिद्रुत्य सुशर्माणं केशपक्षे परामृशत्‌ | समुद्यम्य तु रोषात्‌ तं निष्पिपेष महीतले,सुशमके पास पहुँचकर भीमने उसके केश पकड़ लिये और क्रोधपूर्वक उसे उठाकर पृथ्वीपर दे मारा। तत्पश्चात्‌ उसे वहीं रगड़ने लगे

Transliteration

abhidrutya suśarmāṇaṁ keśapakṣe parāmṛśat | samudyamya tu roṣāt taṁ niṣpipeṣa mahītale ||

Translation

वैशम्पायन बोले—सुशर्मा के पास पहुँचकर भीम ने उसके केश पकड़ लिए। फिर क्रोध में उसे उठाकर पृथ्वी पर पटक दिया और वहीं उसे रगड़ डाला।

Word by Word

अभिद्रुत्यhaving run up to

सुशर्माणम्Susharman (as object)

केशपक्षेby/at the hair (hair-tuft/locks)

परामृशत्seized/touched (grasped)

समुद्यम्यhaving lifted/raised

तुbut/and then

रोषात्from anger; in anger

तम्him

निष्पिपेषcrushed/smashed

महीतलेon the ground (earth-surface)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Suśarmā

Bhīma

Earth/ground (mahītala)

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 highlights the fierce, punitive side of kṣatriya warfare: when a hostile aggressor persists, decisive force may be used to neutralize him and shatter his arrogance. Ethically, it reflects battlefield pragmatism and the warrior’s duty to protect one’s side, while also warning how anger can intensify violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīma charges Suśarmā, grabs him by the hair, lifts him in anger, and slams him onto the ground, crushing and grinding him there—depicting Bhīma’s overwhelming strength and dominance in close combat.