Shloka 48

Devanagari script

पुन्द्रौर्णि महाशैलं नाराचैर्वज्संनिभै: । निर्बिभेद महावेगैस्त्वरन्‌ वज्रीव पर्वतम्‌

Transliteration

puṇḍrauṇi mahāśailaṃ nārācair vajrasaṃnibhaiḥ | nirbibheda mahāvegais tvaran vajrīva parvatam ||

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಮಹಾವೇಗದಿಂದ ಅವನು ಇಂದ್ರನ ವಜ್ರದಂತೆ ಕಠಿಣವಾದ ತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣ ನಾರಾಚ ಬಾಣಗಳಿಂದ ಪರ್ವತಸಮಾನ ಪುಂಡ್ರೌರ್ಣಿಯ ದೇಹವನ್ನು ಭೇದಿಸಿದನು; ವಜ್ರಧಾರಿ ಇಂದ್ರನು ಪರ್ವತವನ್ನು ಚೀರುವಂತೆ.

Word by Word

पुन्द्रौर्णिम्Pundraurṇi (a person; here as the object/target)

महाशैलम्a great mountain

नाराचैःwith iron arrows

वज्र-संनिभैःresembling a thunderbolt

निर्बिभेदhe pierced / split

महावेगैःwith great speed/force

त्वरन्hastening

वज्रीthe thunderbolt-bearer (Indra)

इवlike, as

पर्वतम्a mountain

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Puṇḍra

Indra (Vajrī)

Vajra (thunderbolt)

Nārāca arrows

Mountain (parvata/mahāśaila)

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 how, in the chaos of war, even what seems immovable (‘mountain-like’) can be shattered by concentrated force and skill. It implicitly cautions that physical might and steadfastness are not absolute protections when adharma-driven conflict escalates into overwhelming violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates a battlefield moment where a warrior (implied by context) rapidly strikes Puṇḍra with powerful nārāca arrows, comparing the action to Indra cleaving a mountain with the vajra.