Mahabharata 7.175.17 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 175, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

ऊरू चिच्छेद चान्यस्य गजस्थस्य विशाम्पते । वाजिपृष्ठगतस्यापि भूमिष्ठस्थ च मारिष

Transliteration

ūrū ciccheda cānyasya gajasthasya viśāmpate | vājipṛṣṭhagatasyāpi bhūmiṣṭhastha ca māriṣa ||

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Ó senhor do povo, Karṇa decepou as coxas de outro guerreiro — estivesse ele sentado sobre um elefante, montado no dorso de um cavalo, ou de pé no chão, lutando a pé.

Word by Word

• ऊरू: two thighs
• ऊरू: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊरु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Dual

• चिच्छेद: cut off / severed
• चिच्छेद: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• अन्यस्य: of another (warrior)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• गजस्थस्य: of one stationed on an elephant
• गजस्थस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गजस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वाजिपृष्ठगतस्य: of one mounted on a horse's back
• वाजिपृष्ठगतस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाजिपृष्ठगत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• भूमिष्ठस्थस्य: of one standing on the ground (on foot)
• भूमिष्ठस्थस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूमिष्ठस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

• मारिष: O noble one / O dear sir
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारिष
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Karṇa
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address viśāmpate/māriṣa)
• elephant (gaja)
• horse (vāji)
• ground/earth (bhūmi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how warfare can reduce combat to sheer destruction across all ranks—elephant-riders, horsemen, and foot-soldiers alike—inviting reflection on how dharma becomes strained when victory is pursued through indiscriminate, brutal efficiency.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that Karṇa, in the thick of battle, is maiming and felling opponents regardless of whether they fight from elephants, horses, or on foot, emphasizing Karṇa’s ferocity and the escalating carnage of the Drona Parva conflict.