Shloka 54

Droṇa’s Ācārya-Dakṣiṇā: Capture of Drupada and Division of Pāñcāla (द्रोण-आचार्यदक्षिणा)

Devanagari script

ततो बद्ध्वा लतापाशैर्भीम॑ दुर्योधन: स्वयम्‌ | मृतकल्पं तदा वीर॑ स्थलाज्जलमपातयत्‌

Transliteration

tato baddhvā latāpāśair bhīmaṃ duryodhanaḥ svayam | mṛtakalpaṃ tadā vīraṃ sthalāj jalam apātayat ||

Translation

Rồi Duryodhana tự tay lấy dây leo làm thòng lọng, trói chặt Bhīma. Khi vị anh hùng ấy đã như kẻ chết, hắn ném chàng từ bờ cao xuống dòng nước (sông Gaṅgā).

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: indeclinable (ablatival adverb)

• बद्ध्वा: having bound
• Type: Verb
• Root: बन्ध्
• Form: absolutive (क्त्वा), from धातु बन्ध्

• लतापाशैः: with creeper-ropes (nooses made of creepers)
• लतापाशैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लतापाश
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• भीमम्: Bhima
• भीमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• दुर्योधनः: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• स्वयम्: himself
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्
• Form: indeclinable

• मृतकल्पम्: as if dead, like a corpse
• मृतकल्पम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृतकल्प
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा
• Form: indeclinable

• वीरम्: the hero (Bhima)
• वीरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• स्थलात्: from the bank/ground
• स्थलात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थल
• Form: neuter, ablative, singular

• जलम्: into the water
• जलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अपातयत्: caused to fall, threw down
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: imperfect (लङ्), causative (णिच्), 3rd person, singular, parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīma
• Duryodhana
• Gaṅgā (implied by context: river/bank)
• latā-pāśa (creeper-noose)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical collapse that fuels the epic’s conflict: envy and fear lead Duryodhana to attempt harm through deceit rather than righteous confrontation, marking a clear movement toward adharma and its consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

After rendering Bhīma helpless (contextually, following earlier treachery), Duryodhana personally ties him with creeper-nooses and throws him from the riverbank into the water, intending his death.