Shloka 51

Devanagari script

सा छिन्ना बहुधा राजन्‌ द्रोणचापच्युतैः शरै: । चूर्णीकृता विशीर्यन्ती पपात वसुधातले

Transliteration

sā chinnā bahudhā rājan droṇacāpacyutaiḥ śaraiḥ | cūrṇīkṛtā viśīryantī papāta vasudhātale ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：王啊，那柄钉头槌被德罗那弓上射出的箭矢斩作无数碎片，粉碎成尘；崩裂四散，坠落在大地之上。此景彰显战技之冷酷高效：纵是凶猛之器亦顷刻化为无用，提醒人们权势之脆弱与暴力所带来的迅疾翻覆。

Word by Word

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

• छिन्ना: cut, severed
• छिन्ना: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• बहुधा: in many ways, repeatedly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुधा

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• द्रोण: of Droṇa
• द्रोण: Sambandha
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• चाप: from the bow
• चाप: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• च्युतैः: released, fallen forth
• च्युतैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: च्युत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• शरैः: by arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• चूर्णीकृता: pulverized, reduced to powder
• चूर्णीकृता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चूर्णीकृ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• विशीर्यन्ती: breaking apart, scattering
• विशीर्यन्ती: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-शॄ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)

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

• वसुधा-तले: on the surface of the earth/ground
• वसुधा-तले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा-तल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Droṇa
• bow (cāpa)
• arrows (śara)
• mace (gadā)
• earth/ground (vasudhā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the mightiest instruments of force can be swiftly destroyed; the verse highlights the instability of worldly power in war and invites reflection on the costs and reversals inherent in violence, despite adherence to martial duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a mace (gadā) has been struck by numerous arrows shot from Droṇa’s bow, cut into pieces, pulverized, and scattered as it falls to the ground.