Shloka 76

Devanagari script

अपरावर्तिन: शूरा: सुवर्णविकृतध्वजा: । संग्रामे भीष्ममासाद्य सवाजिरथकुज्जरा:

Transliteration

aparāvartinaḥ śūrāḥ suvarṇa-vikṛta-dhvajāḥ | saṅgrāme bhīṣmam āsādya savāji-ratha-kuñjarāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: The valiant warriors, unyielding and bearing banners adorned with worked gold, advanced in the thick of battle and closed in upon Bhīṣma—arrayed with horses, chariots, and war-elephants.

Word by Word

• अपरावर्तिनः: not turning back, unretreating
• अपरावर्तिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपरावर्तिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शूराः: heroes, brave men
• शूराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सुवर्णविकृतध्वजाः: whose banners are fashioned/ornamented with gold
• सुवर्णविकृतध्वजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्ण-विकृत-ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• संग्रामे: in battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• आसाद्य: having approached, reaching
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• स: with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स

• वाजि: horse
• वाजि: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• रथ: chariot
• रथ: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• कुञ्जराः: elephants
• कुञ्जराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुञ्जर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• banners/standards (dhvaja)
• horses (vāji)
• chariots (ratha)
• war-elephants (kuñjara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness (aparāvartinaḥ) and disciplined courage in the face of danger, while also reminding the reader that martial splendor (golden banners, vast mounts) accompanies a morally weighty arena where duty and consequence are inseparable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes warriors who do not retreat, marked by ornate golden standards, moving into combat and pressing toward Bhīṣma, supported by the full apparatus of war—horses, chariots, and elephants—signaling an intense engagement around the Kuru commander.