Shloka 29

भीष्मभीमसमागमः — Bhīṣma–Bhīma Strategic Engagement and Counsel to the King

Devanagari script

प्राग्ज्योतिषो महेष्वासो हैडिम्बं राक्षसोत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

prāgjyotiṣo maheṣvāso haiḍimbaṁ rākṣasottamam

Translation

Sañjaya said: “The mighty archer from Prāgjyotiṣa (Bhagadatta) confronted Haiḍimba, the foremost among the rākṣasas.” The line highlights how, amid the moral strain of war, renowned warriors and formidable non-human champions are drawn into the same battlefield, where prowess and allegiance determine action more than birth or species.

Word by Word

• प्राग्ज्योतिषः: the (king) of Pragjyotisha (Bhagadatta)
• प्राग्ज्योतिषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राग्ज्योतिष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महेष्वासः: great bowman
• महेष्वासः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हैडिम्बम्: Haidimba (name)
• हैडिम्बम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हैडिम्ब
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• राक्षस-उत्तमम्: best among the Rakshasas
• राक्षस-उत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राक्षसोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Prāgjyotiṣa
• Bhagadatta
• Haiḍimba
• rākṣasa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a dharma-charged war, individuals are primarily judged by their conduct, allegiance, and capability in fulfilling their chosen duty; the battlefield becomes a testing ground where diverse beings—kings and rākṣasas alike—are bound by the same demands of courage and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a specific encounter: the famed archer-king from Prāgjyotiṣa (Bhagadatta) engages Haiḍimba, described as an eminent rākṣasa, indicating a notable clash among powerful combatants within the larger Kurukṣetra war.