Shloka 12

Devanagari script

विशिखोन्मथितैगत्रिर्बाहुभिश्व सकार्मुकै: । सहस्ताभरणैश्षान्यै: प्रच्छन्ना भाति मेदिनी,अर्जुनके बाणोंसे मथित हुई लाशोंसे वहाँकी जमीन पट गयी थी। कितनी ही भुजाएँ कटकर गिरी थीं; जो अब भी (मुद्ठीमें दृढ़तापूर्वक) धनुष पकड़े हुए थीं। उन हाथोंमें बाजूबन्द, कड़े और अंगूठी आदि आभूषण सभी ज्यों-के-त्यों थे। इन सबसे आच्छादित होकर उस रणभूमिकी विचित्र शोभा हो रही थी

Transliteration

viśikhonmathitaiḥ gātraiḥ bāhubhiś ca sa-kārmukaiḥ | sa-hastābharaṇaiḥ śānyaiḥ pracchannā bhāti medinī ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Nagningning ang lupa—ngunit sa isang madilim at nakapanghihilakbot na paraan—sapagkat natabunan ito ng mga bangkay na pinunit at dinurog ng mga palaso ni Arjuna, at ng mga naputol na bisig na mahigpit pang nakakapit sa kanilang mga busog. Maging sa mga kamay na iyon na bumagsak, nanatiling buo ang mga pulseras sa bisig, mga pulseras sa kamay, mga singsing, at iba pang palamuti. Kaya ang larangan ng digmaan—kalat ang mga sandata at mga bahaging katawan na may alahas—ay nagpakita ng isang kakaibang karilagan, na nagbubunyag ng kakila-kilabot na halaga ng digmaan at ng bigat na moral na pasan ng mga mandirigma.

Word by Word

विशिख-उन्मथितैःby those churned/torn up by arrows

गात्रैःwith bodies/limbs

बाहुभिःwith arms

चand

स-कार्मुकैःtogether with bows (still in hand)

स-हस्त-आभरणैःtogether with hand-ornaments

अन्यैःwith other (things)

प्रच्छन्नाcovered, concealed

भातिshines/appears

मेदिनीthe earth/ground

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna

medinī (the earth/battlefield ground)

viśikha (arrows)

kārmuka (bows)

hastābharaṇa (armlets, bracelets, rings)

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 ethical gravity of warfare: even when fighting is framed as duty, its outcome is horrific—bodies and severed arms litter the ground. The ‘strange splendor’ is a warning against romanticizing victory, reminding the listener that dharma in war carries a heavy human cost.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates the aftermath of intense fighting: the battlefield is covered with mangled bodies struck by arrows, and severed arms still clutching bows, their ornaments unchanged. The scene emphasizes the scale of slaughter and the eerie visual detail of weapons and jewelry amid death.