Mahabharata · 7.40.16–17
॥
Devanāgarī
सायुधाः साङ्गुलित्राणाः सखड्गाः साङ्गदा रणे ॥
दृश्यन्ते बाहवश् छिन्ना हेमाभरणभूषिताः ॥
शराश् चापानि खड्गाश् च शरीराणि शिरांसि च ॥
सकुण्डलानि स्रग्वीणि भूमाव् आसन् सहस्रशः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
sāyudhāḥ sāṅgulitrāṇāḥ sakhaḍgāḥ sāṅgadā raṇe ||
dṛśyante bāhavaś chinnā hemābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ ||
śarāś cāpāni khaḍgāś ca śarīrāṇi śirāṃsi ca ||
sakuṇḍalāni sragvīṇi bhūmāv āsan sahasraśaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सायुधाःsāyudhāḥwith weapons [still in hand]; [still] with weapons
साङ्गुलित्राणाःsāṅgulitrāṇāḥwith finger-guards; [with] finger-guards
सखड्गाःsakhaḍgāḥwith swords; [with] swords
साङ्गदाःsāṅgadāḥwith armlets [bracelets]; [with] armlets
रणेraṇein the battle; in the battle
दृश्यन्तेdṛśyanteare seen [visible]; visible
बाहवःbāhavaḥarms; arms
छिन्नाःchinnāḥsevered [cut off]; severed
हेमाभरणभूषिताःhemābharaṇabhūṣitāḥadorned with golden ornaments; adorned with golden ornaments
शराःśarāḥarrows; arrows
चापानिcāpānibows; bows
खड्गाःkhaḍgāḥswords; swords
चcaand; —
शरीराणिśarīrāṇibodies; bodies
शिरांसिśirāṃsiheads; heads
चcaand; —
सकुण्डलानिsakuṇḍalāniwith earrings; [with] earrings
स्रग्वीणिsragvīṇiin garlands; [in] garlands
भूमौbhūmauon the ground; on the ground
आसन्āsanlay [were]; lay
सहस्रशःsahasraśaḥby the thousands; by the thousands
Translation
[Still] with weapons, with finger-guards, with swords, in armlets, severed arms adorned with golden ornaments are visible in the battle. Arrows, bows and swords, bodies and heads -- with earrings, in garlands -- lay on the ground by the thousands.
Version
652c8800f918 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:22:09 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Severed arms still clutching a sword and adorned with gold, heads with earrings and garlands -- the tale reveals a ghastly beauty of the dismembered: the finery of life upon the remains of death. Thus the suddenness of death is set into relief: only a moment ago these arms held weapons, these heads wore garlands. It is telling that gold and earrings, marks of pleasure and rank, lie strewn amid the bodies. The verse teaches that death cuts a man off in the very midst of his adornment and his act -- the arm falls still holding its sword, the head with its earring; that ornaments and rank are vain on the field of death, where all is made equal; and that the tale, lingering on these gilded remains, wordlessly reminds us of the vanity of all that adorns the living, for in a single instant it becomes refuse on blood-soaked ground.