SB 8.10.40 — FolioCorpus

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.10.40

कबन्धास्तत्र चोत्पेतु: पतितस्वशिरोऽक्षिभि: । उद्यतायुधदोर्दण्डैराधावन्तो भटान् मृधे ॥ ४० ॥

kabandhās tatra cotpetuḥ

[kabandhaas tatra chotpetuh]

patita-sva-śiro-’kṣibhiḥ

[patita-sva-shiro-’kshibhih]

udyatāyudha-dordaṇḍair

[udyataayudha-dordandair]

ādhāvanto bhaṭān mṛdhe

[aadhaavanto bhataan mridhe]

Word-for-word

kabandhāḥ — trunks (bodies without heads) tatra — there (on the battlefield) ca — also utpetuḥ — generated patita — fallen sva-śiraḥ-akṣibhiḥ — by the eyes in one’s head udyata — raised āyudha — equipped with weapons dordaṇḍaiḥ — the arms of whom ādhāvantaḥ — rushing toward bhaṭān — the soldiers mṛdhe — on the battlefield.

Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)

kabandhās tatra cotpetuḥ

kabandhāḥ

trunks (bodies without heads)

tatra

there (on the battlefield)

also

utpetuḥ

generated

patita-sva-śiro-’kṣibhiḥ

patita

fallen

sva-śiraḥ-akṣibhiḥ

by the eyes in one’s head

udyatāyudha-dordaṇḍair

udyata

raised

āyudha

equipped with weapons

dordaṇḍaiḥ

the arms of whom

ādhāvanto bhaṭān mṛdhe

ādhāvantaḥ

rushing toward

bhaṭān

the soldiers

mṛdhe

on the battlefield.

Many headless trunks were generated on that battlefield. With weapons in their arms, those ghostly trunks, which could see with the eyes in the fallen heads, attacked the enemy soldiers.

Purport

It appears that the heroes who died on the battlefield immediately became ghosts, and although their heads had been severed from their bodies, new trunks were generated, and these new trunks, seeing with the eyes in the severed heads, began to attack the enemy. In other words, many ghosts were generated to join the fight, and thus new trunks appeared on the battlefield.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

Gauḍīya Ācāryas

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya

Translation

Many headless trunks appeared on that battlefield. With weapons in their arms, those ghostly trunks, which could see with the eyes from severed heads, attacked the enemy soldiers. The headless bodies could see using the eyes from the severed heads.

Personal Guidance

Headless trunks rose, seeing through their fallen heads, and continued to attack. The hostility that animated them becomes ghostly and continues without proper integration. Unresolved enmity does not stop with death.

Reflection Questions

What 'headless' grievance is still functioning in my circle long after its original cause?
Where am I being attacked by what should already be dead?

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io