Shloka 396

शल्यपर्वणि प्रथमाध्यायः — Karṇa-vadha-anantaraṃ Śalya-niyogaḥ, Saṃjayasya Dhṛtarāṣṭra-nivedanam

Devanagari script

निपपात स राजेन्द्रो गतसत्त्वो महीतले । वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! यह क्रूर वचन सुनकर राजाधिराज जनेश्वर धृतराष्ट्र प्राणहीन-से होकर पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े

Transliteration

nipapāta sa rājendro gatasattvo mahītale |

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า—โอ ชนเมชัย! ครั้นได้ยินถ้อยคำอันโหดร้ายนั้น ธฤตราษฏระผู้เป็นราชาเหนือราชาทั้งหลาย ก็ทรุดล้มลงสู่พื้นดิน ประหนึ่งสิ้นเรี่ยวแรงชีวิต

Word by Word

निपपातfell down

सःhe

राजेन्द्रःking of kings

गतसत्त्वःas if lifeless / with strength gone

महीतलेon the ground (earth-surface)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

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 cruel or harsh speech can strike with the force of a weapon, triggering collapse in those already burdened by sorrow; it also underscores the human cost of adharma and war, where even kings are reduced to helpless grief.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Vaiśampāyana’s narration to King Janamejaya, Dhṛtarāṣṭra hears a cruel statement (from the surrounding context) and, unable to bear the shock and grief, falls to the ground as if lifeless.