Shloka 29

Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)

Devanagari script

इष्वस्त्रसागरं घोरं बाणग्राहं दुरासदम्‌ । कार्मुकोर्मिणमक्षय्यमद्वीपं चलमप्लवम्‌,उनका धनुष-बाण आदि अस्त्रसमूह भयंकर एवं दुर्गम समुद्रके समान था, बाण ही उसमें ग्राह थे, धनुष लहरोंके समान जान पड़ता था, वह अक्षय, द्वीपरहित, चंचल तथा नौका आदि तैरनेके साधनोंसे शून्य था

Transliteration

iṣv-astra-sāgaraṁ ghoraṁ bāṇa-grāhaṁ durāsadam | kārmuk-ūrmiṇam akṣayyam advīpaṁ calam aplavam ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “That dreadful mass of arrows and weapons was like a fearsome, hard-to-cross ocean: arrows were its crocodiles, bows seemed like its surging waves. It appeared inexhaustible—without any island of refuge, restless and without any boat or means of crossing.”

Word by Word

इषु-अस्त्र-सागरम्an ocean of arrows and weapons

घोरम्terrible

बाण-ग्राहम्having arrows as crocodiles (sharks)

दुरासदम्hard to approach, formidable

कार्मुक-ऊर्मिणम्having bows as waves

अक्षयम्inexhaustible

अद्वीपम्without islands

चलम्turbulent, moving

अप्लवम्without a boat/raft (without means of crossing)

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

arrows (iṣu/bāṇa)

weapons (astra)

bows (kārmuka)

ocean (sāgara)

crocodiles/sea-monsters (grāha)

waves (ūrmi)

island (dvīpa)

boat/raft (plava)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes