Shloka 15

Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)

Devanagari script

प्रगृहीतैः सुसंरब्धा द्रवमाणास्ततस्ततः । व्यदृश्यन्त महाराज परस्परजिघांसव:

Transliteration

pragṛhītaiḥ susaṃrabdhā dravamāṇās tataḥ tataḥ | vyadṛśyanta mahārāja parasparajighāṃsavaḥ ||

Translation

Sanjaya sprach: O König, gepackt und hart bedrängt sah man sie in verschiedene Richtungen fliehen—jeder darauf aus, den anderen zu töten.

Word by Word

• प्रगृहीतैः: with seized/held (weapons)
• प्रगृहीतैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-गृहीत (√ग्रह्)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सुसंरब्धाः: highly enraged
• सुसंरब्धाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-संरब्ध (√रभ्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• द्रवमाणाः: running about / rushing
• द्रवमाणाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रवमाण (√द्रु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ततः: from there / thence
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• ततः: from there (here and there)
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• व्यदृश्यन्त: were seen / appeared
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• परस्पर-जिघांसवः: desiring to kill one another
• परस्पर-जिघांसवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परस्पर + जिघांसु (√हन्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, once seized by anger and the urge to destroy, warriors lose steadiness and scatter in panic, yet remain driven by mutual hatred. It implicitly warns that uncontrolled rage and the fixation on killing degrade discernment and intensify the moral danger of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that combatants, tightly engaged and highly agitated, are seen running off in different directions amid the battle, each side bent on slaying the other.