Shloka 34

Devanagari script

महाद्विपानां सरलद्रुमोपमा: करा निकृत्ता: प्रपतन्त्यमी क्षुरै: । किरीटिना तेन पुन: ससादिन: शरैनिकृत्ता: कुलिशैरिवाद्रय:

Transliteration

mahādvipānāṁ saraladrumopamāḥ karā nikṛttāḥ prapatanty amī kṣuraiḥ | kirīṭinā tena punaḥ sasādinaḥ śarair nikṛttāḥ kuliśair ivādrayaḥ ||

Translation

巨象那如长松般的肢干，被剃刃般锋利的箭矢斩断，纷纷坠地。继而又遭戴冠者（基里廷）之箭再击，群象连同骑者一并崩倒，碎裂如被金刚雷霆劈开的山岳。

Word by Word

• महाद्विपानाम्: of the great elephants
• महाद्विपानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाद्विप
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सरलद्रुमोपमाः: comparable to pine/deodar trees
• सरलद्रुमोपमाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सरलद्रुमोपम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कराः: hands / trunks (lit. hands)
• कराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निकृत्ताः: cut off
• निकृत्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + कृत्त (कृदन्त from √कृत्/√कृन्त् 'to cut')
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रपतन्ति: fall down
• प्रपतन्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पत्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural

• अमी: these (those here)
• अमी: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अदस् (प्रातिपदिक: अमु-)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• क्षुरैः: with razors / razor(-like arrows)
• क्षुरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• किरीटिना: by the diademed one (Arjuna)
• किरीटिना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: किरीटिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तेन: by him / with that
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पुनः: again, further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• ससादिनः: with riders / riders (lit. those having sat [on them])
• ससादिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ससादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शर-निकृत्ताः: cut down by arrows
• शर-निकृत्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर + निकृत्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कुलिशैः: by thunderbolts
• कुलिशैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलिश
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अद्रयः: mountains
• अद्रयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्रि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

विशोक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kirīṭin (Arjuna)
• elephants (war elephants)
• riders (sādins)
• kṣura (razor-edged arrows)
• śara (arrows)
• kuliśa/vajra (thunderbolt)
• adri (mountains)
• sarala-druma (pine/deodar-like trees)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the overwhelming power of disciplined martial skill in war while simultaneously highlighting the grim consequences of battle—strength and duty (kṣatriya action) unfold amid unavoidable destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

A narrator describes Arjuna (Kirīṭin) cutting down the elephants’ trunk/forelimb-like members with razor-edged arrows; the elephants then collapse with their riders, compared to mountains shattered by a thunderbolt.