Shloka 37

Devanagari script

स पार्थबाणाभिहत: पपात रथाद्‌ विबाहुर्विशिरा धरायाम्‌

Transliteration

sa pārthabāṇābhihataḥ papāta rathād vibāhur viśirā dharāyām

Translation

三阇耶说道：他被阿周那的箭矢射中，从战车上坠落——双臂被斩断，首级被削落——倒在大地之上。此句凸显战争阴沉的道德重负：当命运与武艺交汇之时，勇力与傲气顷刻崩塌，提醒听者战场结局之冷酷无情。

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पार्थ-बाण-अभिहतः: struck by Arjuna's arrows
• पार्थ-बाण-अभिहतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-हन् (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• रथात्: from the chariot
• रथात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• विबाहुः: with arms torn off / armless
• विबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विशिराः: headless
• विशिराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशिरस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धरायाम्: on the ground
• धरायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• arrows (bāṇāḥ)
• chariot (ratha)
• earth/ground (dharā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the stark impermanence of life and glory in war: even a formidable warrior can be instantly brought down. It implicitly cautions against arrogance and emphasizes the grave ethical cost of armed conflict, even when fought under kṣatriya duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior, struck by Arjuna’s arrows, falls from his chariot onto the ground, mutilated—arms severed and head cut off—signaling a decisive, lethal moment in the battle.