Shloka 59

भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः

Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā

Devanagari script

गदया भीमसेनेन नाराचैरर्जुनेन च । तदनन्तर दो ही घड़ीमें भीमसेनने गदासे और अर्जुनने नाराचोंसे उस गज-सेनाका संहार कर डाला ।। अभिपिष्टमहानागै: समन्तात्‌ पर्वतोपमै:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | gadayā bhīmasenena nārācair arjunena ca | tadanantaraṃ hi ghaḍī-dvaye bhīmasenena gadayā arjunena ca nārācaiḥ sā gaja-senā saṃhṛtā || abhipiṣṭa-mahānāgaiḥ samantāt parvatopamaiḥ ||

Translation

भीमसेनाने गदेने आणि अर्जुनाने नाराचांनी; त्यानंतर अल्प वेळातच त्या गज-सेनेचा संहार केला. सर्वत्र पर्वतासारखे महागज चिरडले जाऊन पडले होते.

Word by Word

गदयाwith a mace

भीमसेनेनby Bhimasena

नाराचैःwith iron arrows

अर्जुनेनby Arjuna

चand

अभिपिष्टcrushed, pounded

महानागैःby great elephants

समन्तात्on all sides, all around

पर्वतोपमैःby/with (those) like mountains

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīmasena

Arjuna

gadā (mace)

nārāca (iron arrows)

gaja-senā (elephant corps)

mahānāga (great elephants)

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 underscores the terrifying efficiency of martial prowess when unleashed in war: even the mightiest formations (an elephant corps) can be swiftly annihilated. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—kṣatriya-duty compels combat, yet the narrative simultaneously exposes war’s crushing, dehumanizing force and the fragility of worldly power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Bhīma, wielding his mace, and Arjuna, shooting heavy iron arrows (nārācas), quickly destroy an enemy elephant contingent. The battlefield is depicted as filled on all sides with mountain-like elephants being crushed and trampled amid the onrush of combat.