Shloka 39

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)

Devanagari script

ततो मुमोच कालिड्: शक्ति तामकरोद्‌ द्विधा । खड्गेन पृथुना मध्ये भानुमन्तमथाच्छिनत्‌,इतनेहीमें कलिंगराजकुमारने उनके ऊपर शक्ति चलायी; किंतु भीमसेनने उसके दो टुकड़े कर दिये और अपने विशाल खड्गसे भानुमानके शरीरको बीचसे काट डाला

Transliteration

tato mumoca kāliṅgaḥ śaktiṃ tām akarod dvidhā | khaḍgena pṛthunā madhye bhānumantam athācchinat ||

Translation

แล้วราชกุมารแห่งกลิงคะก็ขว้างศัสตรา ‘ศักติ’ ใส่ แต่ภีมเสนฟันมันขาดเป็นสองท่อน และด้วยดาบอันกว้างใหญ่ก็ผ่าภานุมานขาดกลางลำ

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

मुमोचreleased, hurled

कालिङ्गःthe Kalinga (prince/warrior)

शक्तिम्a spear/javelin (śakti-weapon)

ताम्that (her/it)

अकरोत्made, rendered

द्विधाinto two, in two parts

खड्गेनwith a sword

पृथुनाbroad, large

मध्येin the middle

भानुमन्तम्Bhānumant (proper name)

अथthen, and then

अच्छिनत्cut, severed

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kaliṅga prince (Kaliṅga-rāja-kumāra)

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Bhānumān

śakti (spear/javelin)

khaḍga (sword)

Kaliṅga

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 the harsh immediacy of kṣatriya-dharma in war: a warrior must respond decisively to lethal threats, and prowess combined with presence of mind determines outcomes; ethical reflection lies in recognizing war’s irreversible consequences even when actions follow battlefield duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Kaliṅga prince hurls a śakti (spear) at Bhīma. Bhīma cuts the spear into two and then strikes down Bhānumān by cleaving him through the middle with a broad sword, as Sañjaya reports the events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.