Shloka 32

भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः

Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt

Devanagari script

ते गजा गिरिसंकाशा: क्षरन्तो रुधिरं बहु भीमसेनस्य गदया भिन्नमस्तकपिण्डका:

Transliteration

te gajā girisaṅkāśāḥ kṣaranto rudhiraṃ bahu bhīmasenasya gadayā bhinnamastakapiṇḍakāḥ

Translation

ช้างเหล่านั้นใหญ่ดุจภูผา เลือดไหลนอง; กะโหลกศีรษะถูกคทาของภีมเสนทุบจนแตกเป็นเสี่ยง ๆ.

Word by Word

तेthey/those

गजाःelephants

गिरि-संकाशाःmountain-like

क्षरन्तःshedding, flowing out

रुधिरम्blood

बहुmuch, a lot

भीमसेनस्यof Bhimasena

गदयाwith a mace

भिन्न-मस्तक-पिण्डकाःhaving their head-masses split (i.e., with shattered heads)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

gajāḥ (elephants)

gadā (mace)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the terrifying efficacy of force in warfare: even the strongest creatures fall when struck by superior power and weaponry. Ethically, it invites reflection on the heavy cost of violence and the grim reality behind martial glory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes elephants in battle that look like mountains but are bleeding profusely because Bhīmasena has struck them with his mace, shattering their skulls into pieces.