Shloka 21

दुःशासनवधः (Duḥśāsana-vadha) — Bhīma’s vow-fulfillment in combat

Devanagari script

ततः सर्वा दिशो राजन्‌ सायकैर्विप्रमोहयन्‌

Transliteration

tataḥ sarvā diśo rājan sāyakair vipramohayan

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, O King, bewildering all the directions with a storm of arrows, he filled the battlefield with confusion.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from that/thereupon')

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• दिशः: directions; quarters
• दिशः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

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

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• विप्रमोहयन्: bewildering; confounding
• विप्रमोहयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-प्र-मुह्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• sāyaka (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how overwhelming force can generate moha (disorientation) not only in opponents but in the very field of action; ethically, it cautions that power without clarity can obscure right judgment and intensify chaos.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior (implied from context) is shooting so many arrows that all directions seem confused, indicating a fierce exchange where visibility, orientation, and tactical order break down.