Shloka 3

Dvīpa–Sāgara–Parvata Varṇana and Svarbhānu

Rāhu) Graha-pramāṇa (Dvīpas, Oceans, Mountains, and Astral Measures

Devanagari script

संजय उवाच संजयो<हं महाराज नमस्ते भरतर्षभ । हतो भीष्म: शान्तनवो भरतानां पितामह:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | sañjayo 'haṃ mahārāja namas te bharatarṣabha | hato bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavo bharatānāṃ pitāmahaḥ ||

Translation

Sanjaya said: O King, O bull among the Bharatas, salutations to you. I am Sanjaya. Bhishma—the son of Shantanu, the grandsire of the Bharatas—has been slain in battle.

Word by Word

• संजयः: Sanjaya
• संजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संजयः: Sanjaya
• संजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

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

• नमः: salutation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस्

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• हतः: slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शान्तनवः: son/descendant of Shantanu
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्तनु
• Form: Patronymic/descendant formation (अण्/इञ्-type taddhita; conventional), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भरतानाम्: of the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पितामहः: grandfather; grandsire
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhritarashtra
• Bhishma
• Shantanu
• Bharatas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical weight of war: even the most venerable elders and embodiments of duty can fall, and such victories carry profound moral and emotional consequences for the dynasty and its rulers.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya addresses King Dhritarashtra with respect and reports the battlefield news that Bhishma, Shantanu’s son and the Bharatas’ grandsire, has been slain.