Shloka 21
Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam
Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32
Devanagari script
सासिर्बाहुर्निपतित: शिरश्छिन्न॑ं सकुण्डलम्
Transliteration
sāsirbāhur nipatitaḥ śiraś chinnaṃ sakuṇḍalam
Translation
सञ्जय उवाच—सासिर्बाहुर्निपतितः; शिरश्छिन्नं सकुण्डलम् अपि पपात। रणभूमौ शौर्यं भूषणं च मृत्योरग्रे निष्फलमेव भवति।
Word by Word
सhe/that (man)
स:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
असिःsword
असिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअसि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
बाहुःarm
बाहुः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबाहु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
निपतितःfallen down
निपतितः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootनि-पत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
शिरःhead
शिरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशिरस्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
छिन्नम्cut off/severed
छिन्नम्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootछिद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
सthat (head)
स:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
कुण्डलम्earring
कुण्डलम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकुण्डल
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
sword (asi)A
arm (bāhu)H
head (śiras)E
earrings (kuṇḍala)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the impermanence of bodily power and worldly adornment: in war, even the mighty fall, and external marks of status (like ornaments) cannot shield one from the consequences of violence and mortality.
Sañjaya describes a warrior being struck down in combat: he collapses with sword and arm, and his head is severed and falls, still wearing earrings—an image emphasizing the ferocity and decisive lethality of the battle.