Shloka 24

यमसभावर्णनम् (Yamasabhā-varṇanam) — Nārada’s Description of Dharmarāja’s Assembly

Devanagari script

भीष्माणां द्वे शतेडप्यत्र भीमानां तु तथा शतम्‌ | शतं च प्रतिविन्ध्यानां शतं नागा: शतं हया:

Transliteration

bhīṣmāṇāṁ dve śate ’py atra bhīmānāṁ tu tathā śatam | śataṁ ca prativindhyānāṁ śataṁ nāgāḥ śataṁ hayāḥ ||

Translation

Nārada said: “Here, there are two hundred of the Bhīṣmas; likewise, a hundred of the Bhīmas; a hundred of the Prativindhyas; a hundred elephants; and a hundred horses.”

Word by Word

• भीष्माणाम्: of the Bhishmas (men named Bhishma / Bhishma’s side)
• भीष्माणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Dual

• शते: hundreds
• शते: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Dual

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• भीमानाम्: of the Bhimas (men named Bhima / Bhima’s side)
• भीमानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• तु: but / however
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• तथा: likewise / similarly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• प्रतिविन्ध्यानाम्: of the Prativindhyas (men named Prativindhya / Prativindhya’s side)
• प्रतिविन्ध्यानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिविन्ध्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• नागाः: elephants
• नागाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हयाः: horses
• हयाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Bhīṣma (as a name/group reference)
• Bhīma (as a name/group reference)
• Prativindhya (as a name/group reference)
• Elephants
• Horses

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how royal power is often expressed through quantified resources—named lineages/warriors and war-animals—inviting reflection on the ethical limits of prestige measured by numbers rather than virtue.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is listing or reporting numerical counts of specific groups (associated with names like Bhīṣma, Bhīma, and Prativindhya) along with elephants and horses, as part of a broader description of forces/resources in the Sabha Parva context.