SB 10.72.38 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.72.38

इत्थं तयो: प्रहतयोर्गदयोर्नृवीरौ क्रुद्धौ स्वमुष्टिभिरय:स्परशैरपिष्टाम् । शब्दस्तयो: प्रहरतोरिभयोरिवासी- न्निर्घातवज्रपरुषस्तलताडनोत्थ: ॥ ३८ ॥

itthaṁ tayoḥ prahatayor gadayor nṛ-vīrau

[ittham tayoh prahatayor gadayor nri-veerau]

kruddhau sva-muṣṭibhir ayaḥ-sparaśair apiṣṭām

[kruddhau sva-mushtibhir ayah-sparashair apishtaam]

śabdas tayoḥ praharator ibhayor ivāsīn

[shabdas tayoh praharator ibhayor ivaaseen]

nirghāta-vajra-paruṣas tala-tāḍanotthaḥ

[nirghaata-vajra-parushas tala-taadanotthah]

Word-for-word

ittham — in this manner tayoḥ — their prahatayoḥ — being ruined gadayoḥ — the clubs nr — among human beings vīrau — the two great heroes kruddhau — angry sva — their own muṣṭibhiḥ — with the fists ayaḥ — like iron sparaśaiḥ — whose touch apiṣṭām — they battered śabdaḥ — the sound tayoḥ — of them praharatoḥ — striking ibhayoḥ — of two elephants iva — as āsīt — became nirghāta — crashing vajra — like thunder paruṣaḥ — harsh tala — of their palms tāḍana — by the hitting utthaḥ — raised .

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

itthaṁ tayoḥ prahatayor gadayor nṛ-vīrau

ittham

in this manner

tayoḥ

their

prahatayoḥ

being ruined

gadayoḥ

the clubs

among human beings

vīrau

the two great heroes

kruddhau sva-muṣṭibhir ayaḥ-sparaśair apiṣṭām

kruddhau

angry

sva

their own

muṣṭibhiḥ

with the fists

ayaḥ

like iron

sparaśaiḥ

whose touch

apiṣṭām

they battered

śabdas tayoḥ praharator ibhayor ivāsīn

śabdaḥ

the sound

tayoḥ

of them

praharatoḥ

striking

ibhayoḥ

of two elephants

iva

āsīt

became

nirghāta-vajra-paruṣas tala-tāḍanotthaḥ

nirghāta

crashing

vajra

like thunder

paruṣaḥ

harsh

tala

of their palms

tāḍana

by the hitting

utthaḥ

raised .

Important Words

ayaḥ-sparaśaiḥ — whose touch was like iron
Compound instrumental. Ayas — iron. Their fists strike like iron. The image foreshadows Bhīma's later fame in mace and wrestling combat at Kurukṣetra.
muṣṭibhiḥ — with the fists
Instrumental plural. Muṣṭi-yuddha — fist-combat — is the third tier after weapons fail. The duel descends from gada to muṣṭi to bāhu-yuddha (grappling), a complete śāstric sequence.
vajra-paruṣaḥ — harsh like thunder
Compound nominative. Paruṣa — harsh, jarring. Thunder is the third sound-figure of the duel (after caṭa-caṭā and dantinoḥ); the verse has now exhausted Sanskrit's loudest similes.

Their clubs thus ruined, those great heroes among men angrily pummeled each other with their iron-hard fists. As they slapped each other, the sound resembled the crash of elephants colliding or harsh thunderclaps.

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Commentary

When their clubs were broken they pounded each other with their fists.

Jīva Gosvāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

When the clubs were destroyed, they beat each other’s limbs (apiṣṭām) with fists like the touch of iron. They then hit each other with the palms of their hands with a harsh sound like thunder in a cloudless sky (nirghāta).

Śrīdhara Svāmī Gauḍīya

Commentary

When their clubs were destroyed, they struck each other’s limbs with their iron fists. The sound of striking or injuring with their hands was harsh like thunder in a cloudless sky (nirghāta).

Related values & verses

Concepts

Jiva

Personal Guidance

With clubs ruined, they used iron-hard fists, slapping like elephants colliding. When weapons fail, the bare body must serve. Spiritual struggle eventually comes to what we are willing to embody.

Reflection Questions

What in me is asked to do with bare commitment what my external supports cannot?
Where would I rather have a tool than have to show up myself?

Analogy

When weapons fail, the wrestler's body becomes the weapon. Iron-hard fists strike like elephants colliding. The Bhāgavatam compresses 27 days of Mahābhārata wrestling into a single śloka of percussive Sanskrit.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io