Mahabharata 7.38.5 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 38, Shloka 5

अभिमन्यु-पराक्रमवर्णनम्

Abhimanyu’s Prowess and the Duḥśāsana Engagement

Devanagari script

तस्यार्जुनि: शिरोग्रीवं पाणिपादं धनुर्हयान्‌ । छत्र॑ ध्वजं नियन्तारं त्रिवेणुं तल्पमेव च

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | tasyārjuniḥ śirogrīvaṁ pāṇipādaṁ dhanurhayān | chatraṁ dhvajaṁ niyantāraṁ triveṇuṁ talpam eva ca | vāyunā iva mahāśailaḥ sambhagno ’mitatejasā ||

Translation

പിന്നീട് വേഗഹസ്തനായ അർജുനപുത്രൻ അഭിമന്യു തന്റെ ബാണങ്ങളാൽ അവന്റെ ശിരസ്സും ഗ്രീവയും, കൈകാലുകളും, ധനുസ്സും, അശ്വങ്ങളും, ഛത്രവും ധ്വജവും, സാരഥിയും, ത്രിവേണുവും, രഥത്തിലെ തൽപവും വരെ വെട്ടിമാറ്റി. അദമ്യ തേജസ്സുള്ള അഭിമന്യുവിന്റെ പ്രഹാരത്തിൽ ആ യോദ്ധാവ് കാറ്റിൽ പൊട്ടിയ മഹാശൈലംപോലെ ചിതറി ഭൂമിയിൽ വീണു.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• अर्जुनिः: Arjuna’s son (Abhimanyu)
• अर्जुनिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुनि (अर्जुन-सम्बन्धी/अर्जुन-पुत्रः इति व्युत्पत्त्या)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ग्रीवम्: neck
• ग्रीवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रीवा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• पाणि: hand
• पाणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पादम्: foot
• पादम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हयान्: horses
• हयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• छत्रम्: parasol
• छत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ध्वजम्: banner/standard
• ध्वजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नियन्तारम्: charioteer/driver
• नियन्तारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियन्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• त्रिवेणुम्: three-plaited (ornament/whip/strap; tri-veṇu)
• त्रिवेणुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिवेणु
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तल्पम्: bed/couch (seat/platform)
• तल्पम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल्प
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वायुना: by the wind
• वायुना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• इव: as/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• महाशैलः: a great mountain
• महाशैलः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाशैल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सम्भग्नः: broken/shattered
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + भञ्ज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• उद्मिततेजसा: by (one) of unmeasured/immense splendor
• उद्मिततेजसा: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्मित-तेजस्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Abhimanyu (Arjuna’s son)
• Śalya (implied via 'his brother' in the accompanying prose gloss)
• chariot
• horses
• bow
• parasol (chatra)
• banner/standard (dhvaja)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the grim ethical tension of kṣatriya-dharma: excellence in battle can be dazzling yet devastating, and the ‘glory’ of victory is inseparable from the reality of bodily and material ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Abhimanyu’s rapid assault: he severs the opponent’s limbs and chariot components (including insignia like parasol and banner), and the enemy collapses shattered—likened to a mountain broken by wind.