Bhishma Parva Adhyaya 91 Shloka 15 - Mahabharata | German | Vedapath

Vyasa

←Previous VerseNext Verse→

Shloka 15

Bhagadattā’s Deployment Against Ghaṭotkaca; Elephant-Corps Escalation

Devanagari script

आदित्यकेतुर्बह्नाशी कुण्डधारो महोदर: । अपराजित: पण्डितको विशालाक्ष: सुदुर्जय:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

ādityaketurbahnāśī kuṇḍadhāro mahodaraḥ |

aparājitaḥ paṇḍitakaḥ viśālākṣaḥ sudurjayaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Adityaketu, Bahnāśī, Kuṇḍadhāra, Mahodara, Aparājita, Paṇḍitaka und der überaus schwer zu bezwingende Held Viśālākṣa—diese sieben feindzermalmenden Brüder, in seltsam auffällige Gewänder geschmückt, mit ungewöhnlichen Rüstungen und Bannern, stürmten mit Kampfbegier auf das Schlachtfeld und warfen sich auf Bhīmasena, den Sohn Pāṇḍus.

Word by Word

आदित्यकेतुःAdityaketu (name)

बह्नाशीBahnashi (name)

कुण्डधारःKundadhara (name)

महोदरःMahodara (name; 'big-bellied')

अपराजितःAparajita (name; 'unconquered')

पण्डितकःPanditaka (name)

विशालाक्षःVishalaksha (name; 'one with large eyes')

सुदुर्जयःSudurjaya (name; 'very hard to conquer')

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Adityaketu

Bahnāśī

Kuṇḍadhāra

Mahodara

Aparājita

Paṇḍitaka

Viśālākṣa

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Pāṇḍu

battlefield (saṅgrāma-bhūmi)

armor (kavaca)

banner/standard (dhvaja)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, outward splendor (armor, banners, display) and proclaimed invincibility do not guarantee safety; many warriors are driven by loyalty, pride, and the kṣatriya impulse toward combat. Ethically, it points to the tragic momentum of conflict—courage is praised, yet it also becomes a vehicle for destruction when harnessed to enmity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya lists seven warrior-brothers—Adityaketu, Bahnāśī, Kuṇḍadhāra, Mahodara, Aparājita, Paṇḍitaka, and Viśālākṣa—who, dressed in striking attire and carrying distinctive armor and standards, charge onto the battlefield and attack Bhīma, the son of Pāṇḍu.