Shloka 28

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ७२: सैन्यगुणवर्णनम्, व्यूहरक्षा, दैव-पुरुषकारचिन्ता

Devanagari script

उस समय कुपित होकर आक्रमण करते हुए महा-बली द्रोणाचार्य और भीष्मका उस महासमरमें सामना करनेके लिये महाधनुर्धर शिखण्डी आगे बढ़ा ।।

Transliteration

tadā kupitaḥ samākrāman mahābalī droṇācāryaṃ bhīṣmaṃ ca tasmin mahāsamare samāgantum mahādhanurdharaḥ śikhaṇḍī prāgādvat | pragṛhya balavad vīro dhanur jaladanisvanam | abhyavarṣac charais tūrṇaṃ chādayāno divākaram ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Da trat Śikhaṇḍī, der mächtige Bogenschütze, zornentbrannt in jener großen Schlacht vor, um Droṇācārya und Bhīṣma zu stellen. Er packte seinen Bogen, der wie eine Donnerwolke dröhnte, spannte ihn mit Kraft und überschüttete sie so rasch mit Pfeilen, dass selbst die Sonne verhüllt zu sein schien.

Word by Word

• प्रगृह्य: having grasped / taking up
• प्रगृह्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ग्रह्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• बलवत्: with force / strongly
• बलवत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वीरः: the hero/warrior
• वीरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जलदनि:स्वनम्: having a sound like a cloud (thunderous-sounding)
• जलदनि:स्वनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जलद-नि:स्वन
• Form: नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अभ्यवर्षत्: rained upon / showered
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-वृष्
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथम, एकवचन, कर्तरि

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• तूर्णम्: swiftly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्ण

• छादयन्: covering
• छादयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: छाद्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन, कर्तरि

• दिवाकरम्: the sun
• दिवाकरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Śikhaṇḍī
• Droṇācārya (Droṇa)
• Bhīṣma
• bow (dhanus)
• arrows (śara)
• sun (divākara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how intense emotion (anger) can amplify martial action, while also pointing to the ethical strain of war: extraordinary prowess is displayed in service of a conflict where dharma is contested, especially around the destined fall of Bhīṣma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śikhaṇḍī advances in fury to face Droṇa and Bhīṣma, draws his thunder-sounding bow, and releases a rapid, dense volley of arrows so thick it seems to obscure the sun.