Shloka 21

भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः

Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt

Devanagari script

व्यधमत्‌ तान्यनीकानि तत्क्षणादेव भारत । दुर्योधनं विकर्ण च कर्ण चापि महाबलम्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

vyadhamat tāny anīkāni tatkṣaṇād eva bhārata |

duryodhanaṃ vikarṇaṃ ca karṇaṃ cāpi mahābalam ||

Translation

毗湿摩波罗耶那说道：“噢，婆罗多！就在那一瞬间，他便击碎了那些战阵；他射中杜尤陀那、毗迦尔那，也射中勇力无双的迦尔那。”

Word by Word

• व्यधमत्: he struck/afflicted (lit. blew upon, smote)
• व्यधमत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यधम् (धातु: ध्मा/ध्मा॒—ध्माने, with वि- उपसर्ग)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अनीकानि: armies, divisions (of troops)
• अनीकानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• तत्: from that (i.e., thereupon/then)
• तत्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (used adverbially), Singular

• क्षणात्: from (that) moment, instantly
• क्षणात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• एव: indeed, just, exactly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• भारत: O Bharata (descendant of Bharata)
• Type: Noun (vocative epithet)
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• दुर्योधनम्: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विकर्णम्: Vikarṇa
• विकर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: विकर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कर्णम्: Karna
• कर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: कर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• महाबलम्: mighty-strong (very powerful)
• महाबलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhārata (Janamejaya as addressee)
• Duryodhana
• Vikarṇa
• Karṇa
• anīka (battle-formation/army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the volatility of worldly power in conflict: even large forces and famed warriors can be broken in an instant. Ethically, it points to how aggression escalates into wider suffering, and how reliance on sheer force offers no stable security.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a battlefield moment where a warrior (implied by context) immediately disperses enemy formations and strikes key Kaurava figures—Duryodhana, Vikarṇa, and the mighty Karṇa—showing a sudden tactical and martial advantage.