महाभारत · 7.25.17–18
॥
देवनागरी
तस्यावर्जितनागस्य म्लेच्छस्यावपतिष्यतः ॥
शिरश् चिच्छेद भल्लेन क्षिप्रकारी वृकोदरः ॥
तस्मिन् निपतिते वीरे संप्राद्रवत सा चमूः ॥
संभ्रान्ताश्वद्विपरथा पदातीन् अवमृद्नती ॥
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
tasyāvarjitanāgasya mlecchasyāvapatiṣyataḥ ||
śiraś ciccheda bhallena kṣiprakārī vṛkodaraḥ ||
tasmin nipatite vīre saṃprādravata sā camūḥ ||
saṃbhrāntāśvadviparathā padātīn avamṛdnatī ||
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
तस्यtasyahis; [his]
आवर्जितनागस्यāvarjitanāgasya[whose] elephant overturned [with elephant fallen]; [the one] whose elephant had fallen
म्लेच्छस्यmlecchasyaof the mleccha [foreigner]; of the mleccha [foreigner]
अवपतिष्यतःavapatiṣyataḥabout to fall [falling]; falling
शिरःśiraḥthe head; the head
चिच्छेदcicchedacut off [severed]; severed
भल्लेनbhallenawith a bhalla [broad-headed arrow]; with a bhalla arrow
क्षिप्रकारीkṣiprakārīswift [quick in action]; quick [in action]
वृकोदरःvṛkodaraḥVrikodara [Bhima]; Vrikodara
तस्मिन्tasmin[when] he; [when] he
निपतितेnipatitefell [collapsed]; fell
वीरेvīrethe hero [warrior]; [that] warrior
संप्राद्रवतsaṃprādravatascattered [broke into flight]; broke into flight
सा चमूःsā camūḥthat host; [that] host
संभ्रान्ताश्वद्विपरथाsaṃbhrāntāśvadviparathāwith horses, elephants, and chariots thrown into confusion; [with] horses, elephants, chariots thrown into confusion
पदातीन्padātīnthe foot soldiers [infantry]; [its own] infantry
अवमृद्नतीavamṛdnatītrampling [crushing]; trampling
अनुवाद
That mleccha, whose elephant had fallen, as he was falling, quick Vrikodara severed his head with a bhalla arrow. When that warrior fell, that host broke into flight, its horses, elephants, and chariots thrown into confusion, trampling [its own] infantry.
संस्करण
417d2e138bf7 · प्रकाशित 19 जुल॰ 2026, 3:11:21 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
With the death of its leader the host breaks into flight and in its confusion tramples its own infantry — a headless army destroys itself. Thus is shown how fragile a multitude is when it rests upon a single commander: the moment he falls, order gives way to a crush in which one's own die at the hands of one's own. It is telling that the greater harm is dealt not by the enemy but by one's own panic. The verse teaches that an army without a head is more dangerous to itself than to the foe; that panic, once it seizes a crowd, turns its own strength against itself; and that the death of one leader can destroy many not through his death itself but through the confusion it sows — for in fear a man crushes his neighbor while saving himself, and thus a multitude destroys itself.