Sauptika Parva Adhyaya 8 Shloka 58 - Mahabharata | Telugu | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 58

Devanagari script

अताडयच्छतानीकं मुक्तचक्रं द्विजस्तु सः । स विह्दलो ययौ भूमिं ततो5स्यापाहरच्छिर:

Transliteration

atāḍayac chatānīkaṃ muktacakraṃ dvijas tu saḥ | sa vidhvalo yayau bhūmiṃ tato ’syāpāharac chiraḥ ||

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—శతానీకుని చేతి నుండి చక్రం జారిపోగానే ఆ బ్రాహ్మణుడైన అశ్వత్థాముడు అతనిపై ఘోరంగా ప్రహరించెను. అతడు తడబడుతూ నేలపై పడిపోయెను; వెంటనే అశ్వత్థాముడు అతని శిరస్సును నరికివేసెను.

Word by Word

अताडयत्struck, beat

शतानीकम्Śatānīka (proper name)

मुक्तचक्रम्whose discus/weapon was released (or: with loosened wheel/discus)

द्विजःthe Brahmin (Aśvatthāman)

तुbut, indeed

सःhe

विह्वलःbewildered, distressed

ययौwent, fell (went down)

भूमिम्to the ground

ततःthen, thereafter

अस्यof him

अपाहरत्took away, removed

शिरःhead

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Aśvatthāman

Śatānīka

cakra (discus)

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

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in the Sauptika episode, violence escalates beyond accepted wartime restraint: a fallen, disarmed opponent is struck and beheaded. It serves as a narrative warning about adharma in war—how rage and vengeance can eclipse duty and humane limits.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Śatānīka loses control of his discus; Aśvatthāman, identified as a dvija (Brahmin), strikes him so that he collapses, and then Aśvatthāman cuts off his head.