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Shloka 20

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः

Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma

यथा प्रज्वलितं वह्निं पतड़: समभिद्रवन्‌ । एकतो मृत्युमभ्येति तथाहं भीष्ममीयिवान्‌,'जैसे पतंग प्रजजलित आगकी ओर दौड़ा जाकर एकमात्र मृत्युको ही प्राप्त होता है, उसी प्रकार हमने भी भीष्मपर आक्रमण करके मृत्युका ही वरण किया है

sañjaya uvāca | yathā prajvalitaṃ vahniṃ pataṅgāḥ samabhidravanti | ekato mṛtyum abhyeti tathāhaṃ bhīṣmam īyivān |

قال سنجيا: «كما تندفع الفراشات إلى النار المتأججة فلا تنال إلا الموت، كذلك أنا—إذ تقدّمتُ لمنازلة بهيشما—لم ألقَ إلا الموت وجهاً لوجه.»

यथाas, just as
यथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा
प्रज्वलितम्blazing, kindled
प्रज्वलितम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रज्वलित (प्र+√ज्वल्)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
वह्निम्fire
वह्निम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवह्नि
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
पतङ्गाःmoths
पतङ्गाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपतङ्ग
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
समभिद्रवन्ran towards, rushed at
समभिद्रवन्:
TypeVerb
Rootसमभिद्रवत् (सम्+अभि+√द्रु)
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada
एकतःonly, solely
एकतः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएकतः
मृत्युम्death
मृत्युम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमृत्यु
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
अभ्येतिgoes to, reaches
अभ्येति:
TypeVerb
Rootअभ्येति (अभि+√इ)
FormPresent (Laṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
तथाso, thus
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअहम्
FormNominative, Singular
भीष्मम्Bhishma
भीष्मम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootभीष्म
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
ईयिवान्having gone/approached; having attacked (contextually: having advanced against)
ईयिवान्:
TypeVerb
Rootईयिवस् (√इ)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, Perfect (Liṭ) participle

संजय उवाच

S
Sanjaya
B
Bhishma
F
fire (vahni)
M
moths (pataṅga)

Educational Q&A

Headlong aggression against an overwhelming power, driven by impulse or pride, can resemble moths rushing into flame—an image warning of self-destructive choices and the inevitability of consequences.

Sanjaya describes the peril of confronting Bhishma in battle, comparing the attackers’ approach to moths rushing into a blazing fire, implying that such an assault leads only to death.