Shloka 37

Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava

Devanagari script

आविद्धनरनागाश्चं पतितध्वजकूबरम्‌

Transliteration

āviddha-nara-nāgāś ca patita-dhvaja-kūbaram

Translation

Sañjaya said: “And there were men and elephants struck down, and the chariot lay with its banner and pole fallen.” The line underscores the grim visibility of war’s consequences—valor and might collapsing into ruin—serving as a sober reminder of the ethical weight borne by those who choose violence, even in a dharma-framed conflict.

Word by Word

• आविद्ध: pierced, transfixed
• आविद्ध: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-व्यध् (धातु) → आविद्ध (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• नरनागम्: a man-elephant (elephant used in war/with men), i.e., an elephant
• नरनागम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• पतितध्वजकूबरम्: whose flag and pole/top-piece have fallen
• पतितध्वजकूबरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पतित + ध्वज + कूबर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• men/warriors (nara)
• elephants (nāga)
• chariot banner (dhvaja)
• chariot pole/yoke (kūbara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tangible aftermath of battle—bodies and broken war-gear—prompting reflection on the moral gravity of warfare: even when undertaken as duty, violence produces irreversible loss and demands accountability in intention and conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing a battlefield scene where warriors and elephants have been struck down, and a chariot’s insignia and structural pole have fallen—signs of defeat, destruction, and the turning of fortune amid combat.