Shloka 7

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ७२: सैन्यगुणवर्णनम्, व्यूहरक्षा, दैव-पुरुषकारचिन्ता

Devanagari script

तान्‌ दृष्टवाभ्युद्यतान्‌ संख्ये पाण्डवा हि यशस्विन: । श्येनेन व्यूहराजेन तेनाजस्येन संयुगे,शत्रुओंको युद्धके लिये उद्यत हुए देख यशस्वी पाण्डव युद्धमें अजेय व्यूहराज श्येनके रूपमें संगठित हो शोभा पाने लगे। उस व्यूहके मुखभागमें महाबली भीमसेन शोभा पा रहे थे। नेत्रोंके स्थानमें दुर्धर्ष वीर शिखण्डी तथा द्रुपदकुमार धृष्टद्युम्न खड़े थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | tān dṛṣṭvābhyudyatān saṅkhye pāṇḍavā hi yaśasvinaḥ | śyenena vyūharājena tenājasyena saṃyuge |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Seeing the foes drawn up and ready for battle, the illustrious Pāṇḍavas, amid the war, assumed the invincible ‘Śyena’ (hawk) formation—the king of battle-arrays—so that they appeared resplendent, steadfast, and disciplined.

Word by Word

तान्them

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

अभ्युद्यतान्raised up; ready (for action)

संख्येin battle

पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas

हिindeed

यशस्विनःglorious; renowned

श्येनेनby/with the hawk (formation)

व्यूहराजेनby the king of battle-formations

तेनby that

अजस्येनunconquerable; invincible

संयुगेin combat

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pāṇḍavas

Śyena-vyūha (hawk formation)

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?

Even in war, action should be governed by discipline, clarity, and purposeful organization. The Pāṇḍavas’ adoption of an ‘invincible’ formation highlights that righteous strength is not mere aggression but coordinated, responsible effort aligned with duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, upon seeing the enemy prepared for battle, the Pāṇḍavas arrange themselves in the Śyena (hawk) battle formation—described as the foremost and unconquerable array—signaling readiness and strategic intent on the battlefield.