Mahabharata · 1.217.11–12
॥
Devanāgarī
तांस् तथोत्पततः पार्थः शरैः संछिद्य खण्डशः ॥
दीप्यमाने ततः प्रास्यत् प्रहसन् कृष्णवर्त्मनि ॥
ते शराचितसर्वाङ्गा विनदन्तो महारवान् ॥
ऊर्ध्वम् उत्पत्य वेगेन निपेतुः पावके पुनः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tāṃs tathotpatataḥ pārthaḥ śaraiḥ saṃchidya khaṇḍaśaḥ ||
dīpyamāne tataḥ prāsyat prahasan kṛṣṇavartmani ||
te śarācitasarvāṅgā vinadanto mahāravān ||
ūrdhvam utpatya vegena nipetuḥ pāvake punaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तान् तथा उत्पततः पार्थः शरैः संछिद्य खण्डशःtān tathā utpatataḥ pārthaḥ śaraiḥ saṃchidya khaṇḍaśaḥthose, as they leapt up thus, Partha, cutting them to pieces with arrows,
दीप्यमाने ततः प्रास्यत् प्रहसन् कृष्णवर्त्मनिdīpyamāne tataḥ prāsyat prahasan kṛṣṇavartmanicast them then into the blazing fire;
ते शराचितसर्वाङ्गाः विनदन्तः महारवान्te śarācitasarvāṅgāḥ vinadantaḥ mahāravānthey, all their limbs studded with arrows, uttering a great roar,
ऊर्ध्वम् उत्पत्य वेगेन निपेतुः पावके पुनःūrdhvam utpatya vegena nipetuḥ pāvake punaḥleaping upward with all their force, fell into the fire again;
तांस्tāṃsoriginal form "tāṃs", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथोत्पततःtathotpatataḥoriginal form "tathotpatataḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शराचितसर्वाङ्गाśarācitasarvāṅgāoriginal form "śarācitasarvāṅgā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विनदन्तोvinadantooriginal form "vinadanto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"Those, as they leapt up thus, Partha, cutting them to pieces with arrows, cast them then into the blazing fire; they, all their limbs studded with arrows, uttering a great roar, leaping upward with all their force, fell into the fire again."
Version
25c18d6d1fe2 · published Jul 12, 2026, 6:11:48 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the hero's deed appears in its grim, unveiled severity. It is telling that scripture does not soften it: Arjuna destroys the creatures as they break free. The deed is done within the order of a great destruction permitted from above, not out of cruelty; and yet it is severe, and the death of the creatures is grievous. Thus scripture reveals a stern truth, and gentle souls ought to grieve for the suffering, remembering that judgment of such deeds belongs to the Lord.