Mahabharata 3.21.24 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 24

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

Devanagari script

विशीर्णमलिनोष्णीष: प्रकीर्णाम्बरमूर्धज: । प्रपतन्‌ दृश्यते ह सम क्षीणपुण्य इव ग्रह:

Transliteration

viśīrṇa-malinoṣṇīṣaḥ prakīrṇāmbara-mūrdhajaḥ | prapatan dṛśyate ha sama kṣīṇa-puṇya iva grahaḥ ||

Translation

ຜ້າໂພກຫົວຂອງທ່ານເປື້ອນແລະຫຼຸດຮ່ອຍແຕກອອກ; ເສື້ອຜ້າແລະເສັ້ນຜົມກໍກະຈາຍຢູ່ຢ່າງລະສຳລະສາຍ. ໃນຂະນະທີ່ທ່ານພຸ່ງລົງ ທ່ານດູຄ້າຍດາວທີ່ບໍ່ມີບຸນ—ແສງສິ້ນ—ຕົກຈາກຕຳແໜ່ງຂອງຕົນ.

Word by Word

• विशीर्ण: scattered, fallen apart
• विशीर्ण: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशीर्ण (वि-√शॄ/शॄण्, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मलिन: dirty, soiled
• मलिन: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मलिन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उष्णीषः: turban, headcloth
• उष्णीषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्णीष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रकीर्ण: scattered, strewn about
• प्रकीर्ण: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रकीर्ण (प्र-√कॄ/किर्, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अम्बर: garment, clothing
• अम्बर: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मूर्धजः: hair (lit. born on the head)
• मूर्धजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रपतन्: falling (while falling)
• प्रपतन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रपतत् (प्र-√पत्, शतृ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दृश्यते: is seen, appears
• दृश्यते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश्
• Form: Present, Atmanepada (passive sense), 3rd, Singular

• ह: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

• सम: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम

• क्षीण: diminished, exhausted
• क्षीण: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीण (√क्षि, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुण्यः: merit, virtue
• पुण्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• ग्रहः: planet; (also) seizer
• ग्रहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वायुदेव (Vāyudeva)
• ग्रह (celestial body/planet/star)
• उष्णीष (turban/headdress)
• अम्बर (garments)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a vivid simile—‘like a celestial body whose merit is exhausted’—to suggest that outward collapse mirrors inner depletion: when पुण्य (merit) is spent, one’s stability, dignity, and ‘radiance’ (status/fortune) can fall away. It reinforces the Mahābhārata’s ethical theme that actions and accumulated merit have tangible consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva describes a figure seen falling, with turban, clothes, and hair disheveled. The imagery emphasizes sudden downfall and loss of composure, comparing the person’s appearance in descent to a star/planet dropping from its place after its merit is exhausted.