Shloka 77

Bhīmasena–Hanūmān Saṃvāda: The Tail Test and the Divine Path

Devanagari script

बाहुस्वस्तिकविन्यस्तपीनहस्वशिरोधरम्‌ । स्कन्धभूयिष्ठकायत्वात्‌ तनुमध्यकटीतटम्‌,उनक कंधे चौड़े और पुष्ट थे। अतः उन्होंने बाँहके मूलभागको तकिया बनाकर उसीपर अपनी मोटी और छोटी ग्रीवाको रख छोड़ा था और उनके शरीरका मध्यभाग एवं कटिप्रदेश पतला था। उनकी लंबी पूँछका अग्रभाग कुछ मुड़ा हुआ था। उसकी रोमावलि घनी थी तथा वह पूँछ ऊपरकी ओर उठकर फहराती हुई ध्वजा-सी सुशोभित होती थी

Transliteration

bāhu-svastika-vinyasta-pīna-hasva-śirodharam | skandha-bhūyiṣṭha-kāyatvāt tanu-madhya-kaṭī-taṭam ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「彼は両腕をスヴァスティカの形に組み、その腕の付け根を枕として、太く短い首をそこに載せて横たわっていた。肩と上半身がとりわけ広く逞しかったため、胴の中ほどと腰は相対的に細く見えた—物語が細部まで描き出す、その恐るべき力と特異な姿を際立たせる光景である。」

Word by Word

बाहु-स्वस्तिक-विन्यस्त-पीणहस्व-शिरोधरम्having the neck/head placed on the crossed arms as a pillow, thick and short-necked

स्कन्ध-भूयिष्ठ-कायत्वात्because of (his) body being mostly shoulders / broad-shoulderedness

तनु-मध्य-कटी-तटम्having a slender middle and waist-region

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

This verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it uses precise bodily imagery to establish the nature and power of the being being portrayed, preparing the reader to understand subsequent actions and their moral consequences within the story.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a figure lying/resting with arms crossed, using them as a support for the neck; the description emphasizes broad, strong shoulders and a comparatively slender middle, building a vivid picture of the character’s distinctive physique.