Mahabharata · 7.83.8–9
॥
Devanāgarī
भैमसेनिर् धनुश् छित्त्वा सौमदत्तेर् महात्मनः ॥
ननाद बलवन् नादं विव्याध च शितैः शरैः ॥
यौधिष्ठिरो ध्वजं तस्य छित्त्वा भूमाव् अपातयत् ॥
नाकुलिश् चाश्वयन्तारं रथनीडाद् अपाहरत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
bhaimasenir dhanuś chittvā saumadatter mahātmanaḥ ||
nanāda balavan nādaṃ vivyādha ca śitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
yaudhiṣṭhiro dhvajaṃ tasya chittvā bhūmāv apātayat ||
nākuliś cāśvayantāraṃ rathanīḍād apāharat ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
भैमसेनिः धनुः छित्त्वाbhaimaseniḥ dhanuḥ chittvāthe son of Bhimasena, cleaving the bow; the son of Bhimasena, having cut the bow
सौमदत्तेः महात्मनःsaumadatteḥ mahātmanaḥof the son of Somadatta, the great-souled; of the son of Somadatta, the great-souled one
ननाद बलवत् नादम्nanāda balavat nādamroared a mighty roar; let out a mighty cry
विव्याध च शितैः शरैःvivyādha ca śitaiḥ śaraiḥand pierced [him] with sharp arrows; and struck [him] with honed arrows
यौधिष्ठिरः ध्वजम् तस्यyaudhiṣṭhiraḥ dhvajam tasyathe son of Yudhishthira, his banner; the son of Yudhishthira, his standard
छित्त्वा भूमौ अपातयत्chittvā bhūmau apātayatcleaving, cast to the ground; having cut, brought down to earth
नाकुलिः च अश्वयन्तारम्nākuliḥ ca aśvayantāramand the son of Nakula, the charioteer; and the son of Nakula, the driver
रथनीडात् अपाहरत्rathanīḍāt apāharatswept from the chariot's frame; cast down from the chariot's box
Translation
The son of Bhimasena, cleaving the bow of the great-souled son of Somadatta, roared a mighty roar and pierced him with sharp arrows. The son of Yudhishthira, cutting down his banner, cast it to the ground, while the son of Nakula swept his charioteer from the chariot's frame.
Version
114909e1bea4 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:02:22 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Each of the brothers strips the enemy of one of his supports—bow, banner, charioteer: concerted action dismantles the foe's strength piece by piece. It is telling that the young sons reproduce the valor of their fathers, as though the lineage lived on in them. The verse teaches that the heritage of fathers comes alive in sons: what made the parents renowned appears again in the children, and each generation of the righteous once more displays on the field the same valor as their forebears—the line does not break in its virtues.