Shloka 90

Devanagari script

स पपात महाबाहुर्वसुधामनुनादयन्‌

Transliteration

sa papāta mahābāhur vasudhām anunādayan | indradhvaja iva chinnaḥ pṛthivīṃ śabdayan mahābāhuḥ bhīṣmaḥ sampūrṇa-dhanurdharāṇāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ | sarvāṅgeṣu sarvataḥ śaraiḥ baddhaḥ, patann api bhūmiṃ na spṛśat |

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ພີສະມະ ຜູ້ມີແຂນແຂງກ້າ ລົ້ມລົງພ້ອມສຽງກັງວານໃຫ້ແຜ່ນດິນສະທ້ອນ—ດັ່ງທຸງຂອງອິນດຣາເມື່ອຖືກຕັດໃຫ້ລົ້ມ. ແມ່ນວ່າທ່ານເປັນຜູ້ເກັ່ງກ້າທີ່ສຸດໃນບັນດານັກທະນູຜູ້ຊຳນານ, ແຕ່ຮ່າງກາຍທັງໝົດຖືກລູກສອນປັກທຸກດ້ານ; ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ເຖິງຈະລົ້ມລົງ ກໍບໍ່ໄດ້ແຕະພື້ນ. ພາບນີ້ຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນຄ່າແພງອັນນ່າຢ້ານຂອງສົງຄາມ ແລະຄວາມໝັ້ນຄົງອັນເຂັ້ມງວດຂອງນັກຮົບຜູ້ອົດທົນຄວາມເຈັບປວດໂດຍບໍ່ລະທິ້ງທຳມະທີ່ຕົນເລືອກ.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पपात: fell
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed (hero)
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वसुधाम्: the earth
• वसुधाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अनुनादयन्: resounding (making [it] echo)
• अनुनादयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-नद्
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• भीष्म (Bhīṣma)
• इन्द्रध्वज (Indra’s banner/standard)
• वसुधा/पृथिवी (Earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the gravity of dharma in wartime: even the greatest warrior can be brought down, and yet steadfastness and endurance remain central virtues. It also points to the tragic consequences of conflict—heroism and suffering coexist, and victory is inseparable from loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma’s collapse in battle. Struck all over by arrows, he falls with a thunderous sound, compared to a cut-down banner of Indra; because arrows support his body, he does not physically touch the ground—anticipating the famous ‘bed of arrows’ episode.