Mahabharata
Ghaṭotkaca-vadha-parva (drauṇi-rākṣasa-yuddha): Aśvatthāman's Night Battle with the Rākṣasas7.131.120–124
7965 / 15823
Mahabharata · 7.131.120–124
Devanāgarī

कङ्कगृध्रमहाग्राहां नैकायुधझषाकुलाम् ॥
रथक्षिप्तमहावप्रां पताकारुचिरद्रुमाम् ॥
शरमीनां महारौद्रां प्रासशक्त्युग्रडुण्डुभाम् ॥
मज्जामांसमहापङ्कां कबन्धावर्जितोडुपाम् ॥
केशशैवलकल्माषां भीरूणां कश्मलावहाम् ॥
नागेन्द्रहययोधानां शरीरव्ययसंभवाम् ॥
शोणितौघमहावेगां द्रौणिः प्रावर्तयन् नदीम् ॥
योधार्तरवनिर्घोषां क्षतजोर्मिसमाकुलाम् ॥
प्रायाद् अतिमहाघोरं यमक्षयमहोदधिम् ॥
निहत्य राक्षसान् बाणैर् द्रौणिर् हैडिम्बम् आर्दयत् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

kaṅkagṛdhramahāgrāhāṃ naikāyudhajhaṣākulām ||
rathakṣiptamahāvaprāṃ patākāruciradrumām ||
śaramīnāṃ mahāraudrāṃ prāsaśaktyugraḍuṇḍubhām ||
majjāmāṃsamahāpaṅkāṃ kabandhāvarjitoḍupām ||
keśaśaivalakalmāṣāṃ bhīrūṇāṃ kaśmalāvahām ||
nāgendrahayayodhānāṃ śarīravyayasaṃbhavām ||
śoṇitaughamahāvegāṃ drauṇiḥ prāvartayan nadīm ||
yodhārtaravanirghoṣāṃ kṣatajormisamākulām ||
prāyād atimahāghoraṃ yamakṣayamahodadhim ||
nihatya rākṣasān bāṇair drauṇir haiḍimbam ārdayat ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कङ्कगृध्रमहाग्राहाम्kaṅkagṛdhramahāgrāhāmwith herons and vultures as its great crocodiles; with herons and vultures as its crocodiles
नैकायुधझषाकुलाम्naikāyudhajhaṣākulāmfull of weapons as its many fish; full of fish — a multitude of weapons
रथक्षिप्तमहावप्राम्rathakṣiptamahāvaprāmwith cast-down chariots as its high banks; with banks made of cast-down chariots
पताकारुचिरद्रुमाम्patākāruciradrumāmwith banners as its lovely trees; with banners as its lovely trees
शरमीनाम् महारौद्राम्śaramīnām mahāraudrāmwith arrows as its fish, most terrible; with arrows as its fish, most terrible
प्रासशक्ति उग्रडुण्डुभाम्prāsaśakti ugraḍuṇḍubhāmwith prasas and shaktis as its fearsome serpents; with prasas and shaktis as its fearsome serpents
मज्जामांसमहापङ्काम्majjāmāṃsamahāpaṅkāmwith marrow and flesh as its great mire; with a great slime of marrow and flesh
कबन्धावर्जितोडुपाम्kabandhāvarjitoḍupāmwith headless trunks as its rafts; with headless trunks as its rafts
केशशैवलकल्माषाम्keśaśaivalakalmāṣāmmottled with hair as its water-weeds; mottled with hair-water-weeds
भीरूणाम् कश्मलावहाम्bhīrūṇām kaśmalāvahāmbringing faintness upon the timid; bringing faintness upon the fainthearted
नागेन्द्रहययोधानाम्nāgendrahayayodhānāmof lordly elephants, horses, warriors; of lordly elephants, horses, warriors
शरीरव्ययसंभवाम्śarīravyayasaṃbhavāmarisen from the loss of bodies; arisen from the destruction of bodies
शोणितौघमहावेगाम्śoṇitaughamahāvegāmwith the great rush of a flood of blood; with the great onrush of a flood of blood
द्रौणिः प्रावर्तयत् नदीम्drauṇiḥ prāvartayat nadīmDrauni made the river flow; Drauni turned [it] into a flowing river
योधार्तरवनिर्घोषाम्yodhārtaravanirghoṣāmwith the roar of warriors' anguished cries; with the roar of the warriors' cries of anguish
क्षतजोर्मिसमाकुलाम्kṣatajormisamākulāmfull of waves of blood; full of waves of blood
प्रायात् अतिमहाघोरम्prāyāt atimahāghoramit flowed onward into the most terrible; it rushed onward into the most terrible
यमक्षयमहोदधिम्yamakṣayamahodadhimgreat ocean of Yama's abode; great ocean of Yama's abode
निहत्य राक्षसान् बाणैःnihatya rākṣasān bāṇaiḥhaving slain the rakshasas with arrows; having slain the rakshasas with arrows
द्रौणिः हैडिम्बम् आर्दयत्drauṇiḥ haiḍimbam ārdayatDrauni harassed Haidimba [Ghatotkacha]; Drauni harassed Haidimba [Ghatotkacha]
Translation

[A river of blood:] with herons and vultures for its crocodiles, full of weapons for its fish, its high banks made of cast-down chariots, its lovely trees the banners, its fish the arrows, most terrible, its fearsome serpents the prasas and shaktis, its great mire of marrow and flesh, its rafts the headless trunks, mottled with hair for water-weeds, bringing faintness on the fainthearted, arisen from the destruction of the bodies of lordly elephants, horses, and warriors — that river, with the great onrush of a flood of blood, Drauni set flowing, roaring with the anguished cries of warriors, full of waves of blood; it rushed onward into the most terrible, great ocean of Yama's abode. Having slain the rakshasas with his arrows, Drauni harassed Haidimba [Ghatotkacha].

Version

edbc45551109 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:40:45 PM UTC

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