Shloka 15

भीष्मरक्षण-उद्योगः, शिखण्डि-विवर्जनं, सर्वतोभद्र-व्यूहः

Protection of Bhīṣma, Exemption of Śikhaṇḍin, and the Sarvatobhadra Array

Devanagari script

संधाय च शितं बाणं कालाग्निसमतेजसम्‌ | मुमोच परमक्रुद्धस्तस्मिन्‌ घोरे निशाचरे,तत्पश्चात्‌ उसने प्रलयकालकी अग्निके समान तेजस्वी एवं तीखे बाणको धनुषपर रखकर उसे अत्यन्त क्रोधपूर्वक उस घोर निशाचरपर छोड़ दिया

Transliteration

sandhāya ca śitaṃ bāṇaṃ kālāgnisamatejasam | mumoca paramakruddhas tasmin ghore niśācare ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Setting a keen arrow upon the bow—blazing like the fire that rises at the end of time—he, seized by utmost wrath, loosed it against that dreadful night-roaming foe.

Word by Word

• संधाय: having fitted/placed
• संधाय: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-धा (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त/अव्ययीभाव-रूप), कर्तरि, having fixed/placed (on the bow)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शितम्: sharp
• शितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बाणम्: arrow
• बाणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कालाग्नि-सम-तेजसम्: having brilliance equal to the fire of Time (at dissolution)
• कालाग्नि-सम-तेजसम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मुमोच: released/shot
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• परम्-क्रुद्धः: extremely enraged
• परम्-क्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मिन्: upon/at him
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• निशाचरे: night-roamer (demon)
• निशाचरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशाचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• arrow (bāṇa)
• kālāgni (fire of cosmic dissolution)
• niśācara (night-roaming rākṣasa-like foe)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger (krodha) magnifies destructive action: even when confronting a terrifying enemy, the narrative signals the ethical risk of letting wrath become the driving force in battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

A warrior fixes a razor-sharp arrow, described with end-of-time fire imagery, and in intense fury shoots it at a dreadful night-roaming adversary (niśācara), escalating the combat.