Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 43

Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements

शिरोभि: प्रपतद्धिश्व बाहुभिश्व विभूषितै: । अभ्मवृष्टिरिवाभाति पाणिभिश्न सहाड्कुशै:

śirobhiḥ prapatad diśo bāhubhiś ca vibhūṣitaiḥ | abhravṛṣṭir ivābhāti pāṇibhiś ca sahāṅkuśaiḥ ||

三阇耶说道:首级四散坠落,断臂——仍佩饰物——纷纷飞洒;战场宛如乌云降下的暴雨,因为连手掌也在坠下,有的仍紧握着驭象钩。

शिरोभिःwith heads
शिरोभिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootशिरस्
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Plural
प्रपतद्भिःfalling down
प्रपतद्भिः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootप्र-पत्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural, Present active participle (शतृ)
दिशःthe directions
दिशः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदिश्
FormFeminine, Nominative, Plural
बाहुभिःwith arms
बाहुभिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootबाहु
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
विभूषितैःadorned, decorated
विभूषितैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootवि-भूष्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural, Past passive participle (क्त)
अश्मवृष्टिःa rain of stones
अश्मवृष्टिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअश्मवृष्टि
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
इवlike, as if
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
आभातिshines/appears
आभाति:
TypeVerb
Rootआ-भा
FormPresent, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
पाणिभिःwith hands
पाणिभिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootपाणि
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
सहtogether with
सह:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसह
अङ्कुशैःwith goads/hooks
अङ्कुशैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootअङ्कुश
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
H
heads (śiras)
A
arms (bāhu)
H
hands (pāṇi)
G
goads (aṅkuśa)
D
directions/quarters (diś)

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores the stark impermanence of bodily power and worldly adornment: even ornamented limbs fall in an instant. In the ethical frame of the epic, it functions as a sobering reminder of the cost of adharma-driven conflict and the grave consequences that unfold when war becomes unavoidable.

Sañjaya is reporting the intensity of the Kurukṣetra battle. He depicts severed heads, arms, and hands falling in all directions, comparing the scene to a cloudburst—an image that conveys both the scale of slaughter and the chaotic, relentless momentum of combat.