Shloka 15

भीष्मरक्षण-उद्योगः, शिखण्डि-विवर्जनं, सर्वतोभद्र-व्यूहः

Protection of Bhīṣma, Exemption of Śikhaṇḍin, and the Sarvatobhadra Array

Devanagari script

संधाय च शितं बाणं कालाग्निसमतेजसम्‌ | मुमोच परमक्रुद्धस्तस्मिन्‌ घोरे निशाचरे

Transliteration

sandhāya ca śitaṃ bāṇaṃ kālāgnisamatejasam | mumoca paramakruddhas tasmin ghore niśācare ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Nachdem er einen scharfen Pfeil auf den Bogen gelegt hatte—glühend wie das Feuer, das am Ende der Zeiten auflodert—ließ er ihn, von äußerstem Zorn ergriffen, gegen jenen schrecklichen nächtlichen Widersacher fahren.

Word by Word

• संधाय: having fitted/placed
• संधाय: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-धा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययीभाव-रूप), कर्तरि, having fixed/placed (on the bow)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शितम्: sharp
• शितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बाणम्: arrow
• बाणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कालाग्नि-सम-तेजसम्: having brilliance equal to the fire of Time (at dissolution)
• कालाग्नि-सम-तेजसम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मुमोच: released/shot
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• परम्-क्रुद्धः: extremely enraged
• परम्-क्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मिन्: upon/at him
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• निशाचरे: night-roamer (demon)
• निशाचरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशाचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• arrow (bāṇa)
• kālāgni (fire of cosmic dissolution)
• niśācara (night-roaming rākṣasa-like foe)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger (krodha) magnifies destructive action: even when confronting a terrifying enemy, the narrative signals the ethical risk of letting wrath become the driving force in battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

A warrior fixes a razor-sharp arrow, described with end-of-time fire imagery, and in intense fury shoots it at a dreadful night-roaming adversary (niśācara), escalating the combat.