Mahabharata · 7.65.16–17
॥
Devanāgarī
ते गजा विशिखैस् तीक्ष्णैर् युधि गाण्डीवचोदितैः ॥
अनेकशतसाहस्रैः सर्वाङ्गेषु समर्पिताः ॥
आरावं परमं कृत्वा वध्यमानाः किरीटिना ॥
निपेतुर् अनिशं भूमौ छिन्नपक्षा इवाद्रयः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
te gajā viśikhais tīkṣṇair yudhi gāṇḍīvacoditaiḥ ||
anekaśatasāhasraiḥ sarvāṅgeṣu samarpitāḥ ||
ārāvaṃ paramaṃ kṛtvā vadhyamānāḥ kirīṭinā ||
nipetur aniśaṃ bhūmau chinnapakṣā ivādrayaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ते गजाः विशिखैः तीक्ष्णैःte gajāḥ viśikhaiḥ tīkṣṇaiḥthose elephants, by sharp arrows; those elephants, by sharp arrows
युधि गाण्डीवचोदितैःyudhi gāṇḍīvacoditaiḥsent by Gandiva in the battle; sent by Gandiva in the fight
अनेकशतसाहस्रैःanekaśatasāhasraiḥby many hundred thousands; by many hundred thousands
सर्वाङ्गेषु समर्पिताःsarvāṅgeṣu samarpitāḥdriven into every limb; driven into every limb
आरावम् परमम् कृत्वाārāvam paramam kṛtvāletting out an extreme roar; letting out a terrible roar
वध्यमानाः किरीटिनाvadhyamānāḥ kirīṭinābeing slaughtered by the Diademed One; being slaughtered by the Diademed One
निपेतुः अनिशम् भूमौnipetuḥ aniśam bhūmaufell incessantly to the ground; fell incessantly to the ground
छिन्नपक्षाः इव अद्रयःchinnapakṣāḥ iva adrayaḥlike mountains with cut-off wings; like mountains with severed wings
Translation
Those elephants, driven into every limb by sharp arrows sent by Gandiva in the battle, many hundred thousands of them, letting out an extreme roar, slaughtered by the Diademed One, fell incessantly to the ground, like mountains with their wings cut off.
Version
8b145ac132b7 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The image «chinnapakṣāḥ iva adrayaḥ», 'mountains with their wings cut off', harks back to the ancient myth in which mountains once flew until Indra cut off their wings. The elephants crashing to the ground are like mountains falling. It is telling that a might which deemed itself boundless is brought down like winged masses. The verse teaches that no greatness is immune to the will from above: as Indra cut the wings of the mountains, so righteous wrath brings down the masses of unrighteous force; and the fall of the 'winged mountains' is a parable of the humbling of all strength grown proud.