Shloka 52

Droṇa Encircled at Night: Coalition Advance and Battlefield Omens (द्रोणपर्यावरणं रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

अथोदश्राम्य गदां भीम: कालदण्डमिवान्तक:

Transliteration

athodaśrāmya gadāṃ bhīmaḥ kāladaṇḍam ivāntakaḥ

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ແລ້ວພີມະ ຜູ້ບໍ່ຮູ້ເມື່ອຍ ໄດ້ຍົກຄອນຂອງຕົນຂຶ້ນ—ດັ່ງພຣະຍະມະ ຈອມເຈົ້າແຫ່ງຄວາມຕາຍ ຍົກຄັນທອນແຫ່ງກາລະ—ເປັນໝາຍແຫ່ງຄວາມມຸ່ງມັ້ນບໍ່ຢຸດຢັ້ງທ່າມກາງພະລະກິດອັນຫມອງມືດຂອງສົງຄາມ។

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ
• Form: Avyaya

• उदश्राम्य: became weary / tired out
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-श्रम्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd person, singular, Parasmaipada

• गदाम्: mace
• गदाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भीमः: Bhima
• भीमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कालदण्डम्: the rod of Time
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालदण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इव: like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव
• Form: Avyaya

• अन्तकः: Death (Yama)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīma
• gadā (mace)
• Antaka (Yama/Death)
• kāladaṇḍa (staff of Time)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the inexorable momentum of time and death in war: a warrior’s force, when aligned with duty, can appear as unstoppable as Yama’s rod—reminding readers of mortality and the grave ethical weight of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīma taking up his mace without fatigue, comparing him to Antaka (Yama) wielding the kāladaṇḍa, emphasizing Bhīma’s terrifying power and relentless readiness in the battle context.