Shloka 32

भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः

Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā

Devanagari script

आविग्नं च बल॑ सर्व गदाहस्ते वृकोदरे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | āvignaṃ ca balaṃ sarvaṃ gadāhaste vṛkodare | bhīmasenasya gadayā dhūlidhūsaraparvatākārāṇāṃ hastināṃ kumbhasthalāni vidīryante sma te ca vidrutā diśo diśaḥ ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: Когда Врикодара взял палицу в руку, всё войско Кауравов пришло в смятение. Мы видели, как от ударов палицы Бхимасены лопались лобные бугры (kumbhasthala) у тех слонов, покрытых пылью и подобных горам, и звери в страхе разбегались во все стороны. Эта сцена показывает, как решительная сила одного воина способна сокрушить даже самые могучие орудия войны, обращая гордыню и сомкнутую мощь в панику.

Word by Word

• अविग्नम्: untroubled, undisturbed
• अविग्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविग्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• बलम्: army, force
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वम्: entire, all
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गदाहस्ते: in/when (he is) with mace in hand
• गदाहस्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदाहस्त
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वृकोदरे: in/when Vṛkodara (Bhīma)
• वृकोदरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृकोदर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Vrikodara (Bhima)
• Bhimasena
• Gada (mace)
• Kaurava army
• Elephants (war elephants)
• Kumbhasthala (elephant temples)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical reality of war: strength and resolve can decisively alter collective morale, yet the same power brings grievous suffering. It implicitly warns against overreliance on sheer numbers and war-machines (like elephants), showing how fear spreads when leadership and confidence are shaken.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that as soon as Bhima (Vrikodara) takes up his mace, the Kaurava forces become alarmed. Bhima strikes the war elephants so forcefully that their frontal globes split, and the elephants, maddened and terrified, run away in all directions, disrupting the Kaurava formation.