Mahabharata 3.21.28 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 28

Dvārakā’s Distress and the Saubha Engagement (द्वारकाव्यग्रता तथा सौभयुद्धम्)

Devanagari script

तं॑ पतन्तं महाबाहो शूलपट्टिशपाणय: । अभिष्नन्तो भृशं वीर मम चेतो हाकम्पयन्‌

Transliteration

taṁ patantaṁ mahābāho śūla-paṭṭiśa-pāṇayaḥ | abhiṣṇantō bhṛśaṁ vīra mama ceto hy akampayan ||

Translation

大いなる腕を持つ勇者よ。彼が倒れ落ちるその時、敵兵は槍と戦斧を手に、残忍な力で幾度も幾度も打ちかかった。その無慈悲な猛撃—倒れる最中にさえ加えられたそれが—わが心を震えさせた。

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पतन्तम्: falling
• पतन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Participle
• Root: पत् (धातु) → पतत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun (vocative epithet)
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• शूलपट्टिशपाणयः: those having spears and axes in their hands
• शूलपट्टिशपाणयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभिष्णन्तः: striking, smiting
• अभिष्णन्तः: Karta
• Type: Participle
• Root: अभि-ष्णद्/ष्णद् (धातु) → अभिष्णन्त्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भृशम्: violently, exceedingly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृश

• वीर: O hero
• Type: Noun (vocative)
• Root: वीर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मम: my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• चेतः: heart, mind
• चेतः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अकम्पयन्: they made (it) tremble
• Type: Verb
• Root: कम्प् (धातु) + अ (causative) → कम्पय्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva (Wind-god)
• hero addressed as mahābāhu/vīra
• enemy soldiers (śūla-paṭṭiśa-pāṇayaḥ)
• śūla (spear)
• paṭṭiśa (battle-axe)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral shock caused by striking a warrior even as he falls—an image that questions restraint and righteousness in combat, and underscores how adharma in war disturbs even divine witnesses.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva describes a scene where a combatant is falling, yet enemy soldiers armed with spears and axes continue to attack him repeatedly; witnessing this, Vāyudeva’s heart trembles at the cruelty.