Mahabharata · 7.67.57–58
॥
Devanāgarī
पतमानस् तु स बभौ पर्णाशायाः प्रियः सुतः ॥
संभग्न इव वातेन बहुशाखो वनस्पतिः ॥
ततः सर्वाणि सैन्यानि सेनामुख्याश् च सर्वशः ॥
प्राद्रवन्त हतं दृष्ट्वा श्रुतायुधम् अरिंदमम् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
patamānas tu sa babhau parṇāśāyāḥ priyaḥ sutaḥ ||
saṃbhagna iva vātena bahuśākho vanaspatiḥ ||
tataḥ sarvāṇi sainyāni senāmukhyāś ca sarvaśaḥ ||
prādravanta hataṃ dṛṣṭvā śrutāyudham ariṃdamam ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
पतमानः तु सः बभौpatamānaḥ tu saḥ babhaufalling, he shone; as he fell, he shone
पर्णाशायाः प्रियः सुतःparṇāśāyāḥ priyaḥ sutaḥParnasha's beloved son; Parnasha's beloved son
संभग्नः इव वातेनsaṃbhagnaḥ iva vātenalike one broken by the wind; as if broken by the wind
बहुशाखः वनस्पतिःbahuśākhaḥ vanaspatiḥa many-branched forest tree; a many-branched tree
ततः सर्वाणि सैन्यानिtataḥ sarvāṇi sainyānithen all the troops; then all the troops
सेनामुख्याः च सर्वशःsenāmukhyāḥ ca sarvaśaḥand all the commanders; and all the commanders
प्राद्रवन्त हतम् दृष्ट्वाprādravanta hatam dṛṣṭvāfled, seeing him slain; ran, having seen him slain
श्रुतायुधम् अरिंदमम्śrutāyudham ariṃdamamShrutayudha, tamer of foes; Shrutayudha, tamer of foes
Translation
As he fell, he shone — Parnasha's beloved son — like a many-branched forest tree broken by the wind. Then all the troops and all the commanders fled, seeing Shrutayudha, tamer of foes, slain.
Version
0e9e7e4547ac · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:45:02 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The image "bahuśākhaḥ vanaspatiḥ… saṃbhagnaḥ vātena," "a many-branched tree broken by the wind," is sorrowfully beautiful: the fallen warrior is like a great tree brought down. The word "priyaḥ sutaḥ," "beloved son," recalls the mother who prayed for his invulnerability. It is telling that a mother's love could not protect him. The verse teaches the futility of trying to ward off from a loved one what is destined for him: the mother won invulnerability for her son by her plea, yet he fell, having broken the pledge; even the greatest parental love and a divine boon cannot save one who himself transgresses the law of righteousness on which his strength rested.