Shloka 90

Devanagari script

स पपात महाबाहुर्वसुधामनुनादयन्‌

Transliteration

sa papāta mahābāhur vasudhām anunādayan | indradhvaja iva chinnaḥ pṛthivīṃ śabdayan mahābāhuḥ bhīṣmaḥ sampūrṇa-dhanurdharāṇāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ | sarvāṅgeṣu sarvataḥ śaraiḥ baddhaḥ, patann api bhūmiṃ na spṛśat |

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—مہاباہو بھیشم زمین کو گونجاں کرتے ہوئے گِر پڑے، گویا کٹا ہوا اندردھوج۔ وہ کامل کمان داروں میں سب سے برتر تھے؛ ان کے تمام اعضا ہر سمت تیروں سے چھِد گئے تھے، اسی لیے گرتے ہوئے بھی ان کا جسم زمین کو چھو نہ سکا۔

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पपात: fell
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• महाबाहुः: the mighty-armed (hero)
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वसुधाम्: the earth
• वसुधाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अनुनादयन्: resounding (making [it] echo)
• अनुनादयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-नद्
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• भीष्म (Bhīṣma)
• इन्द्रध्वज (Indra’s banner/standard)
• वसुधा/पृथिवी (Earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the gravity of dharma in wartime: even the greatest warrior can be brought down, and yet steadfastness and endurance remain central virtues. It also points to the tragic consequences of conflict—heroism and suffering coexist, and victory is inseparable from loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma’s collapse in battle. Struck all over by arrows, he falls with a thunderous sound, compared to a cut-down banner of Indra; because arrows support his body, he does not physically touch the ground—anticipating the famous ‘bed of arrows’ episode.