Shloka 18

Devanagari script

भीमसेनवच: श्रुत्वा द्रोणस्तत्‌ परमाप्रियम्‌ । मनसा सन्नगात्रो$भूदू यथा सैकतमम्भसि

Transliteration

bhīmasenavacaḥ śrutvā droṇas tat paramāpriyam | manasā sannagātro 'bhūd yathā saikatam ambhasi ||

Translation

భీమసేనుని పరమ అప్రీతికరమైన మాటలు విని ద్రోణుడు అంతర్మనంలో కుదేలయ్యాడు; అతని అవయవాలు బలహీనమై కుంగిపోయినట్లయ్యాయి. నీటిలో ఇసుక కూలిపోవునట్లు అతని దేహం శిథిలమైంది.

Word by Word

भीमसेनवचःBhimasena's speech/words

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

द्रोणःDrona

तत्that

परमाप्रियम्most unpleasant/utterly disagreeable

मनसाwith (his) mind

सन्नगात्रःwith limbs drooping/benumbed

अभूत्became/was

यथाas/just as

सैकतम्sand/sandy bank

अम्भसिin water

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Droṇa

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

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical and psychological force of speech: words can wound, destabilize, and morally burden even the mighty. In war, victory is not only physical; it also turns on mental resilience, and harsh or grievous utterances can break resolve.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Droṇa’s immediate inner collapse upon hearing Bhīma’s extremely unwelcome statement. Droṇa’s body slackens from mental shock, compared to sand dissolving or sinking in water—an image of sudden loss of firmness and composure.