Mahabharata · 7.65.26–27
॥
Devanāgarī
उत्थितान्य् अगणेयानि कबन्धानि समन्ततः ॥
अदृश्यन्त महाराज तस्मिन् परमसंकुले ॥
सचापाः साङ्गुलित्राणाः सखड्गाः साङ्गदा रणे ॥
अदृश्यन्त भुजाश् छिन्ना हेमाभरणभूषिताः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
utthitāny agaṇeyāni kabandhāni samantataḥ ||
adṛśyanta mahārāja tasmin paramasaṃkule ||
sacāpāḥ sāṅgulitrāṇāḥ sakhaḍgāḥ sāṅgadā raṇe ||
adṛśyanta bhujāś chinnā hemābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
उत्थितानि अगणेयानिutthitāni agaṇeyānirisen up, uncountable; risen up, uncountable
कबन्धानि समन्ततःkabandhāni samantataḥheadless trunks everywhere; headless trunks everywhere
अदृश्यन्त महाराजadṛśyanta mahārājawere seen, O great king; were seen, O sovereign
तस्मिन् परमसंकुलेtasmin paramasaṃkulein that utmost confusion; in that utmost confusion
सचापाः साङ्गुलित्राणाःsacāpāḥ sāṅgulitrāṇāḥwith bows, with finger-guards; with bows, in finger-guards
सखड्गाः साङ्गदाः रणेsakhaḍgāḥ sāṅgadāḥ raṇewith swords, with armlets, in the battle; with swords, in armlets, in the fight
अदृश्यन्त भुजाः छिन्नाःadṛśyanta bhujāḥ chinnāḥsevered arms were seen; severed arms were seen
हेमाभरणभूषिताःhemābharaṇabhūṣitāḥadorned with golden ornaments; in golden ornaments
Translation
Risen up, uncountable headless trunks were seen everywhere, O great king, in that utmost confusion. With bows, with finger-guards, with swords, with armlets, in the battle were seen severed arms, adorned with golden ornaments.
Version
0004ea867dff · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Again «kabandhāni», headless trunks, and severed arms still clutching weapons in golden ornaments. Gold ornament upon dead flesh is a bitter contrast of splendor and decay. It is telling that the poem does not tire of showing this horror: war is not romanticized. The verse teaches a sober view of battle: behind the gleam of golden ornaments lie severed arms and headless trunks; and whoever sees this will not be seduced by the glory of war, but will grasp how terrible is the price of the wrongdoing that cast so many gold-adorned lives into slaughter.