Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 39

Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall

Devanagari script

तामापतन्तीं सहसा हेमदण्डां सुवेगिनीम्‌ । त्रिधा चिच्छेद नृपति: सा व्यकीर्यत मेदिनीम्‌

Transliteration

tām āpatantīṃ sahasā hemadaṇḍāṃ suveginīm | tridhā ciccheda nṛpatiḥ sā vyakīryata medinīm ||

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Vũ khí cán vàng ấy lao tới với tốc lực dữ dội, bất thần giáng xuống; nhà vua liền chém làm ba đoạn, và những mảnh vỡ rơi vãi khắp mặt đất.

Word by Word

• ताम्: her/that (f.)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आपतन्तीम्: falling/descending (upon)
• आपतन्तीम्: Karma
• Type: Verb-derived Adjective
• Root: आपत् (धातु: पत्/आपत्)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)

• सहसा: suddenly
• सहसा: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा

• हेमदण्डाम्: the golden staff/rod
• हेमदण्डाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेमदण्डा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सुवेगिनीम्: very swift
• सुवेगिनीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवेगिनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• त्रिधा: into three parts
• त्रिधा: Adverbial
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा

• चिच्छेद: cut
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नृपतिः: the king
• नृपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सा: she/that (f.)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यकीर्यत: was scattered
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + कृ (किर्/कीर्)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada, Passive (कर्मणि)

• मेदिनीम्: on the ground/earth
• मेदिनीम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• संजय (Sañjaya)
• नृपति (the king)
• हेमदण्डा (golden-shafted weapon/missile)
• मेदिनी (earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of decisive action and mastery: in war, a ruler-warrior must respond instantly and effectively to threats. It also implicitly points to the grim reality that even splendid weapons (golden-shafted) are reduced to fragments—power and ornament do not prevent destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a fast-approaching, golden-shafted missile/weapon that suddenly descends toward the king. The king strikes it mid-course and cuts it into three pieces, which then scatter across the ground.