Shloka 736
भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal
दधार सुमहद् रूपमनन्त इव भोगवान् | राजन! रणभूमिमें बहुतेरे नागोंसे घिरे हुए इरावानने विशाल शरीरवाले शेषनागकी भाँति बहुत बड़ा रूप धारण कर लिया
dadhāra sumahad rūpam ananta iva bhogavān | rājan raṇabhūmau bahutair nāgaiḥ parivṛto ’irāvāṇaḥ viśālaśarīraḥ śeṣanāga iva atimahad rūpaṃ dhṛtavān |
Sañjaya said: “O King, on the battlefield, Irāvān—surrounded by many serpents—assumed an exceedingly vast form, like Ananta, the many-hooded Lord of serpents. In that moment he appeared like Śeṣa himself, enlarging his body to a colossal size, displaying awe-inspiring power amid the violence of war.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the chaos of war, extraordinary power and terrifying grandeur can manifest; it invites reflection on the impermanence of bodily might and the awe such displays evoke, without presenting them as a substitute for dharma or right conduct.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Irāvān, amid the battle and surrounded by many nāgas, expands into a colossal, serpent-like form, likened to Ananta/Śeṣa, emphasizing the wonder and intensity of the combat scene.