Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 9

भीष्मस्य अप्रतिमपराक्रमः — शिखण्डिपुरस्कृतः प्रहारः

Bhīṣma’s unmatched momentum and the assault with Śikhaṇḍin in the lead

Devanagari script

भीष्पप्रेप्सुं रणे यान्तं वृष॑ व्याप्रशिशुर्यथा । महाराज! चित्रसेनने भीष्मके पास पहुँचनेकी इच्छासे रणमें जाते हुए चेकितानका सामना किया, मानो बाघका बच्चा बैलका सामना कर रहा हो ।।

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | bhīṣmaprepsuṁ raṇe yāntaṁ vṛṣaṁ vyāprāśiśur yathā | mahārāja citrasenena bhīṣmāntikam upāgatasya cekitānasya samāgamaḥ, yathā vyāghraśiśur vṛṣabham abhimukhaṁ gacchet ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, as Cekitāna advanced into the battle eager to reach Bhīṣma, Citrasena confronted him—like a tiger-cub challenging a bull.

Word by Word

• भीष्म: Bhishma (as the object/goal)
• भीष्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रेप्सुम्: desiring to obtain/reach
• प्रेप्सुम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (आप्) + सन् (desiderative) → प्रेप्सु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• यान्तम्: going
• यान्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (गम्-अर्थे)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वृषम्: a bull
• वृषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• व्याघ्र: a tiger
• व्याघ्र: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याघ्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शिशुः: a young one/cub
• शिशुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

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

• चित्रसेन: by Chitrasena
• चित्रसेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रसेन
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भीष्म: Bhishma
• भीष्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अन्तिकम्: near(ness), vicinity
• अन्तिकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तिक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उपागतम्: having approached/come near
• उपागतम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-गम्
• Form: Past active participle (क्त), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'Mahārāja')
• Bhīṣma
• Cekitāna
• Citrasena
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a recurring ethical tension in the Mahābhārata: courage and determination are admirable, but in war they must be tempered by discernment. The simile of a tiger-cub facing a bull suggests that rash zeal, when mismatched against superior strength, can lead to needless destruction—an implicit caution within the celebration of martial valor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Cekitāna advances on the battlefield with the aim of reaching Bhīṣma. Citrasena intercepts and confronts him. Sañjaya describes the encounter with a vivid comparison: it is like a tiger-cub taking on a bull, emphasizing the imbalance and the peril of the clash.