Shloka 73

भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal

Devanagari script

स नागैर्बहुभी राजन्निरावान्‌ संवृतो रणे

Transliteration

sa nāgair bahubhir rājann irāvān saṃvṛto raṇe

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, in the thick of battle Irāvān was surrounded on all sides by many Nāga warriors.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नागैः: by/with elephants
• नागैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• बहुभिः: many
• बहुभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• निरावान्: having no protector/defender (unprotected)
• निरावान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निराविन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संवृतः: surrounded/covered/hemmed in
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + वृ (वृञ्) / संवृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• Irāvān
• Nāgas
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the harsh reality of warfare: courage alone does not guarantee safety when one is overwhelmed by numbers. It implicitly reflects the kṣatriya world where duty and valor are tested amid unequal odds, and where outcomes often hinge on circumstance as much as personal prowess.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that Irāvān, in the midst of the battle, has been encircled by many Nāga fighters. The line functions as a battlefield snapshot, emphasizing Irāvān’s dangerous situation and the intensity of the engagement.