Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तमेवमुपलक्ष्यैको हृष्ट: पुष्ट: परंतप,जिघांसन्तं युधां श्रेष्ठ तदा55सीत्‌ तुमुलं महत्‌ । संजय कहते हैं--राजन्‌! पाण्डवपक्षके लाखों क्षत्रियशिरोमणि महारथी विराट सेनापति शूरवीर श्वेतको आगे करके आपके पुत्र दुर्योधनको अपना बल दिखाते हुए शिखण्डीको सामने रखकर भीष्मके सुवर्णभूषित रथपर चढ़ आये। भारत! वे महारथी श्लेतकी रक्षा करना चाहते थे। इसलिये उसे मारनेकी इच्छावाले योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ भीष्मपर उन्होंने धावा किया। उस समय बड़ा भयंकर युद्ध छिड़ गया परंतप! श्वेतको पूर्वोक्तरूपसे कौरव-सेनाका संहार करते देख एकमात्र भीष्म ही उत्साहित और प्रफुल्ल हो पाण्डवोंको शोकमें डालते हुए जीवनका मोह और भय छोड़कर उस महासमरमें दुर्योधनके प्रिय कार्यमें जुट गये

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | tam evam upalakṣyaiko hṛṣṭaḥ puṣṭaḥ paraṃtapa | jighāṃsantaṃ yudhāṃ śreṣṭha tadā āsīt tumulaṃ mahat ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O scorcher of foes, seeing him thus, Bhīṣma alone became exhilarated and resolute. As that foremost of warriors advanced with the intent to slay, a vast and tumultuous clash of arms arose. The verse shows how a veteran, bound by loyalty to his side, casts aside fear and attachment to life and throws himself into the terrible duty of battle.”

Word by Word

तम्him

एवम्thus

उपलक्ष्यhaving noticed/observed

एकःalone, one (person)

हृष्टःthrilled, delighted

पुष्टःinvigorated, strengthened

परंतपO scorcher of foes (epithet)

जिघांसन्तम्wishing to kill

युधाम्of battles/warriors (lit. of fights)

श्रेष्ठO best (of ...)

तदाthen

आसीत्was/arose

तुमुलम्tumultuous, fierce

महत्great

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by epithet paraṃtapa)

Bhīṣma (from the provided narrative context)

Duryodhana (from the provided narrative context)

Śikhaṇḍin (from the provided narrative context)

Śveta (from the provided narrative context)

Pāṇḍavas (from the provided narrative context)

Kaurava army (from the provided narrative context)

gold-adorned chariot of Bhīṣma (from the provided narrative context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness in battle: a seasoned warrior, moved by duty and allegiance, becomes resolute and acts without clinging to life or yielding to fear—yet the narrative also implicitly points to the tragic escalation that such duty-bound violence produces.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, upon observing the situation on the battlefield, Bhīṣma alone becomes energized and advances with lethal intent; as he moves to strike, the fighting swells into a great, chaotic, and thunderous engagement.