Shloka 56

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 22 — Draupadī’s Abduction Attempt and Bhīma’s Suppression of the Kīcakas

Devanagari script

तत: समुद्यम्य भुजी पञ्चशीर्षाविवोरगौ । नखदंष्टाभिरन्योन्यं घ्नत: क्रोधविषोद्धतौ,फिर दोनों क्रोधरूपी विषसे उद्धृत हुए पाँच मस्तकोंवाले सर्पोकी भाँति अपनी-अपनी (पाँच अंगुलियोंसे युक्त) भुजाओंको ऊपर उठाकर एक-दूसरेपर नखों और दाँतोंसे प्रहार करने लगे

Transliteration

tataḥ samudyamya bhujī pañcaśīrṣāv ivoragau | nakhadaṃṣṭābhir anyonyaṃ ghnataḥ krodhaviṣoddhatau ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Lalu mereka mengangkat lengan—bagaikan dua ular berkepala lima yang dibangkitkan oleh racun amarah—dan saling menyerang, menghentam satu sama lain dengan kuku dan gigi, didorong oleh kemarahan.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

समुद्यम्यhaving lifted/raised

भुजीtwo arms

पञ्चशीर्षौhaving five heads (each)

इवlike, as if

उरगौtwo serpents

नखदंष्टाभिःwith nails and teeth

अन्योन्यम्each other

घ्नतःstriking, smiting

क्रोधविषोद्धतौmaddened/raised up by the poison of anger

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

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 uses the metaphor of serpents intoxicated by poison to show how anger functions like a toxin: it inflames the mind, strips away restraint, and turns human strength (raised arms) into instruments of harm. Ethically, it warns that unchecked krodha leads to mutual injury and loss of discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a physical clash: two combatants raise their arms and, in a frenzy of wrath, attack each other at close quarters, clawing and biting—likened to five-hooded serpents striking in mutual rage.