Shloka 42

द्रौणि-पार्षतयोर्युद्धम् | The Duel of Aśvatthāmā

Drauṇi) and Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata

Devanagari script

स्वलंकृतं क्षिती क्षुण्णं चेष्टमानं यथोरगम्‌

Transliteration

svalaṅkṛtaṃ kṣitī kṣuṇṇaṃ ceṣṭamānaṃ yathoragam

Translation

स्वलङ्कृतं च क्षितौ क्षुण्णं चेष्टमानं यथोरगम्।

Word by Word

• सु-अलङ्कृतम्: well-adorned
• सु-अलङ्कृतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलङ्कृत (कृ धातु, क्त प्रत्यय; उपसर्ग: अलम्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• क्षितौ: on the ground/earth
• क्षितौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• क्षुण्णम्: crushed/struck down
• क्षुण्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुण्ण (क्षुद् धातु, क्त प्रत्यय)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• चेष्टमानम्: writhing/struggling
• चेष्टमानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चेष्टमान (चेष्ट् धातु, शतृ/शानच् वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• उरगम्: a serpent
• उरगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उरग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• earth (kṣiti)
• serpent (uraga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the impermanence of worldly splendor and the ethical gravity of war: ornamentation and status cannot prevent the vulnerability and suffering that follow violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a fallen warrior on the battlefield—still adorned, but struck down and writhing on the ground like a serpent—emphasizing the intensity and cruelty of the combat scene.