Mahabharata 7.32.62 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 32, Shloka 62

Cakravyūha-saṃkalpaḥ, Saṃśaptaka-āhvānaṃ, Saubhadra-vikrīḍitam

Drona Parva, Adhyāya 32

Devanagari script

जहार सद्यो भल्लेन विपाटस्य शिरो रथात्‌ | तत्पश्चात्‌ सीधे जानेवाले छः सायकोंद्वारा शत्रुंजयका संहार करके एक भल्लद्वारा रथपर बैठे हुए विपाटका मस्तक तत्काल काट गिराया ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | jahāra sadyo bhallena vipāṭasya śiro rathāt | tatpaścāt ṣaḍbhiḥ sāyakair jānēvāle śatruñjayaṃ saṃhṛtyaikenaiva kirīṭinā (bhallena) rathopaviṣṭasya vipāṭasya mastakaṃ tatkṣaṇaṃ chittvā nipātayāmāsa | paśyatāṃ dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām |

Translation

सञ्जय उवाच—भल्लेन सद्य एव विपाटस्य शिरो रथात् जहार। पश्यतां धार्तराष्ट्राणां किरीटी एकेनैव भल्लेन रथस्थस्य विपाटस्य शिरश्छित्त्वा पातयामास।

Word by Word

• जहार: carried off / took away
• जहार: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (√हृ)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), 3, singular

• सद्यः: immediately
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यस्

• भल्लेन: with a bhalla-arrow
• भल्लेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्ल
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• विपाटस्य: of Vipāṭa
• विपाटस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपाट
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• शिरः: head
• शिरः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• रथात्: from the chariot
• रथात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: masculine, ablative, singular

• पश्यताम्: while (they were) seeing / in the presence of (those) seeing
• पश्यताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्यत् (√दृश्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त, masculine/neuter (contextual), genitive, plural

• धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्: of the Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas)
• धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• एकेन: with one (single)
• एकेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: masculine/neuter, instrumental, singular

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• किरीटिना: with the (arrow/weapon) having a crest/diadem (i.e., a 'kiriṭin' weapon)
• किरीटिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरीटिन्
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• विपाट (Vipāṭa)
• शत्रुंजय (Śatruñjaya)
• किरीटिन् / अर्जुन (Kirīṭin / Arjuna)
• धार्तराष्ट्र (Dhārtarāṣṭras / Kauravas)
• रथ (chariot)
• भल्ल (bhalla arrow)
• सायक (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya duty in war: skill and decisiveness are praised, yet the scene—executed before witnesses—also reminds the listener that battlefield glory is inseparable from grave moral cost and the inexorable consequences of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the diademed warrior Arjuna kills Śatruñjaya with six arrows and then, using a bhalla-arrow, swiftly severs Vipāṭa’s head from his chariot, all in the sight of the Kaurava forces (Dhārtarāṣṭras).