Shloka 35

Adhyāya 107 — बहुयुद्धप्रकरणम्

Multiple Defensive Engagements to Protect Bhīṣma

Devanagari script

तामापतन्तीं सहसा द्विधा चिच्छेद भारत: । क्षुप्राभ्यां सुतीक्षणा भ्यां सा व्यशीर्यत मेदिनीम्‌

Transliteration

tām āpatantīṃ sahasā dvidhā ciccheda bhārataḥ | kṣuraprābhyāṃ sutīkṣṇābhyāṃ sā vyaśīryata medinīm ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Die Waffe, die plötzlich heranflog, zerschnitt Bhīṣma—ein Spross Bharatas—mit zwei überaus scharfen kṣurapra-Pfeilen in zwei Teile. Zersplittert und zertrennt fiel sie zur Erde.

Word by Word

• ताम्: her/that (weapon शक्ति)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आपतन्तीम्: falling/coming swiftly (towards)
• आपतन्तीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपत् (धातु) → आपतन्ती (शतृ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सहसा: suddenly, at once
• सहसा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा

• द्विधा: into two parts
• द्विधा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा

• चिच्छेद: cut, severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद, परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन

• भारतः: the Bharata (Bhishma/warrior of Bharata line)
• भारतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्षुरप्राभ्याम्: with two razor-headed arrows
• क्षुरप्राभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुरप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, द्विवचन

• सुतीक्ष्णाभ्याम्: very sharp (with them)
• सुतीक्ष्णाभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुतीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, द्विवचन

• सा: she/that (shakti)
• सा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• व्यशीर्यत: was shattered, broke apart
• Type: Verb
• Root: शॄ (धातु) / शॄ (शीर्ण/शीर्यते) → वि + शीर्यत
• Form: लङ् (भूतकाल), प्रथम, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• मेदिनीम्: the earth/ground
• मेदिनीम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Bharata lineage (Bhārataḥ)
• śakti (spear/weapon, implied by context)
• kṣurapra (razor-edged arrows)
• earth (medinī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid violence, dharma emphasizes restraint and precision: a warrior should neutralize danger efficiently, without uncontrolled aggression, using skill and alertness to protect others.

What is happening in the narrative?

An incoming weapon (described in the Hindi as a śakti) rushes toward Bhīṣma; he counters instantly by slicing it into two with two razor-edged arrows, and the broken weapon falls to the ground.