Shloka 37
Devanagari script
स पार्थबाणाभिहत: पपात रथाद् विबाहुर्विशिरा धरायाम्
Transliteration
sa pārthabāṇābhihataḥ papāta rathād vibāhur viśirā dharāyām
Translation
स पार्थबाणाभिहतः पपात रथाद् विबाहुर्विशिरा धरायाम्।
Word by Word
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पार्थ-बाण-अभिहतःstruck by Arjuna's arrows
पार्थ-बाण-अभिहतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअभि-हन् (क्त)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पपातfell
पपात:
TypeVerb
Rootपत्
FormPerfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
रथात्from the chariot
रथात्:
Apadana
TypeNoun
Rootरथ
FormMasculine, Ablative, Singular
विबाहुःwith arms torn off / armless
विबाहुः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootविबाहु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
विशिराःheadless
विशिराः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootविशिरस्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धरायाम्on the ground
धरायाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootधरा
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
Speaker
संजय उवाच
Characters & Entities
S
SañjayaP
Pārtha (Arjuna)A
arrows (bāṇāḥ)C
chariot (ratha)E
earth/ground (dharā)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark impermanence of life and glory in war: even a formidable warrior can be instantly brought down. It implicitly cautions against arrogance and emphasizes the grave ethical cost of armed conflict, even when fought under kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior, struck by Arjuna’s arrows, falls from his chariot onto the ground, mutilated—arms severed and head cut off—signaling a decisive, lethal moment in the battle.