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Shloka 6

बाहू धरण्यां निष्पिष्य सुदुर्मत्त इव द्विप: । प्रकीर्णान्‌ मूर्थजान्‌ धुन्वन्‌ दन्तैर्दन्तानुपस्पृशन्‌

bāhū dharaṇyāṁ niṣpiṣya sudurmatta iva dvipaḥ | prakīrṇān mūrthajān dhunvan dantair dantān upaspṛśan

Sañjaya berkata: “Dia menghentak dan menekan kedua lengannya ke bumi seperti gajah yang mengamuk; menggoncang rambutnya yang kusut dan menggesel gigi dengan gigi—ribut zahir duka dan murka, tanda bahawa perang memaksa bahkan yang perkasa jatuh ke dalam sengsara yang tidak berdaya, memakan diri sendiri.”

बाहूtwo arms
बाहू:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootबाहु
FormMasculine, Accusative, Dual
धरण्याम्on the ground/earth
धरण्याम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootधरणी
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
निष्पिष्यhaving crushed/pressed down
निष्पिष्य:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootनिष् + पिष्
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite
सुदुर्मत्तःvery frenzied/maddened
सुदुर्मत्तः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसुदुर्मत्त
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
इवas if/like
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
द्विपःan elephant
द्विपः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootद्विप
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
प्रकीर्णान्scattered
प्रकीर्णान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootप्र + कीर्ण (√कॄ/किर्)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)
मूर्थजान्hairs (of the head)
मूर्थजान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमूर्धज
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
धुन्वन्shaking
धुन्वन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Root√धुन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)
दन्तैःwith (his) teeth
दन्तैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootदन्त
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
दन्तान्teeth
दन्तान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootदन्त
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
उपस्पृशन्touching/striking against
उपस्पृशन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootउप + √स्पृश्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
E
elephant (simile)
E
earth/ground
A
arms
H
hair
T
teeth

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores the psychological devastation of war: even powerful warriors can be reduced to uncontrolled, self-harming expressions of grief and rage. Ethically, it points to the inner cost of adharma-driven conflict—violence rebounds as suffering within the victor and the vanquished alike.

Sañjaya describes a warrior (implied from context) overwhelmed by emotion on the battlefield: he throws himself down, presses his arms into the ground, shakes his disordered hair, and grinds his teeth—likened to a frenzied elephant.