Shloka 37

Devanagari script

शोणिताक्तां गदां बिभ्रन्मेदोमज्जाकृतच्छवि: । कृताभ्यड्र: शोणितेन रुद्रवत्‌ प्रत्यदृश्यत,खूनसे रँगी हुई गदा लेकर मेदा और मज्जाके लेपसे अपनी शोभा बिगाड़कर रक्तका उबटन लगाये हुए भीमसेन भगवान्‌ रुद्रके समान दिखायी दे रहे थे

Transliteration

śoṇitāktāṃ gadāṃ bibhran medomajjākṛtacchaviḥ | kṛtābhyadraḥ śoṇitena rudravat pratyadṛśyata ||

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ರಕ್ತಲೇಪಿತ ಗದೆಯನ್ನು ಧರಿಸಿ, ಮೇದಸ್ಸು ಮತ್ತು ಮಜ್ಜೆಯ ಲೇಪದಿಂದ ಕಾಂತಿ ಮಸುಕಾದವನಾಗಿ, ರಕ್ತಾಭ್ಯಂಗ ಮಾಡಿದವನಂತೆ ಭೀಮಸೇನನು ರುದ್ರನಂತೆ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದ್ದನು.

Word by Word

शोणिताक्ताम्smeared with blood

गदाम्mace

बिभ्रन्bearing, carrying

मेदोमज्जाकृतच्छविःwhose appearance was made (smeared/covered) with fat and marrow

कृताभ्यङ्गःhaving performed an anointing (having an unction applied)

शोणितेनwith blood

रुद्रवत्like Rudra

प्रत्यदृश्यतappeared, was seen

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Rudra (Śiva)

gadā (mace)

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 paradox of dharma in war: even when fighting is undertaken as duty, its outward form is terrifying and stained by violence. It invites reflection on the moral gravity of battle and the burden borne by those who fight.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīma on the battlefield: he carries a blood-smeared mace, his body coated with fat and marrow and anointed with blood, appearing fierce like Rudra—signaling Bhīma’s overwhelming, destructive momentum in combat.