Shloka 79

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

Devanagari script

तेजोयुक्त कृतास्त्रेण शंस तच्चाप्यशेषत: । विजयकी इच्छा रखनेवाले अस्त्रवेत्ता भीष्मजीने उस युद्धमें अपनी तेजस्विताके अनुरूप जो-जो कार्य किया हो, वह सभी पूर्णरूपसे मुझे बताओ || ७८ ई ।। तथा तदभवद्‌ युद्ध कुरुपाण्डवसेनयो:,कौरवों और पाण्डवोंकी सेनाओंका वह युद्ध जिस समय, जिस क्रमसे और जिस रूपमें हुआ था, वह सब कहो

Transliteration

Dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca: tejoyukta-kṛtāstreṇa śaṃsa tac cāpy aśeṣataḥ | vijaya-kāmā astravettā Bhīṣmaḥ tasmin yuddhe sva-tejasā yathā yathā karma cakāra, tat sarvaṃ samyag me vada || tathā tad abhavad yuddhaṃ Kuru-Pāṇḍava-senayoḥ; yathā yadā yathā-rūpaṃ ca, tat sarvaṃ brūhi ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Tell me fully, without leaving anything out, what Bhīṣma—master of weapons, intent on victory, and armed with blazing power—did in that battle in a manner befitting his own splendor. And also relate how that war between the armies of the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas unfolded—when it happened, in what sequence, and in what form—tell me all of it.”

Word by Word

• {'Dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca': 'Dhṛtarāṣṭra said', 'tejas / tejoyukta': 'radiance, martial brilliance

• endowed with splendor', 'kṛtāstra': 'one who has prepared/commanded weapons

• skilled in weaponry', 'astra-vettā': 'knower of missiles and weapon-science

• expert in arms', 'aśeṣataḥ': 'entirely, without remainder', 'śaṃsa / brūhi / vada': 'tell, relate, narrate', 'vijaya-kāma / vijaya-icchā': 'desiring victory', 'yuddha': 'battle, war', 'senā': 'army', 'Kuru-Pāṇḍava-senayoḥ': 'of the Kuru and Pāṇḍava armies', 'yathā / yadā': 'as/how

• when', 'krama': 'sequence, order', 'rūpa': 'form, manner'}

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhīṣma
• Kuru army
• Pāṇḍava army
• yuddha (the battle/war)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral tension of kingship and attachment: Dhṛtarāṣṭra seeks a complete account of Bhīṣma’s prowess and the battle’s unfolding, showing how the desire for victory and control over outcomes drives inquiry even amid a catastrophic war—implicitly inviting reflection on responsibility and dharma in leadership.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra requests a detailed, step-by-step narration of the war between the Kuru and Pāṇḍava armies, specifically asking what Bhīṣma did in accordance with his famed brilliance and martial skill, and how the battle progressed in time, sequence, and form.