Shloka 17

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा च सहिता: सर्वे दैत्या: सत्त्वममानुषम्‌ । प्रसह्म॒ तरसा सर्वे संतस्थु: कालमोहिता:

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā ca sahitāḥ sarve daityāḥ sattvam amānuṣam | prasahya tarasā sarve saṃtasthuḥ kālamohitāḥ ||

Translation

Seeing that extraordinary, non-human prowess, all the Daityas gathered together were forcibly checked; overwhelmed by the delusion of fate and Time (kāla), they all stood still, their momentum broken.

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), parasmaipada (usage), non-finite

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

• सहिता: together, united
• सहिता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• दैत्या: Daityas (demons)
• दैत्या: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• सत्त्वम्: being/creature; nature
• सत्त्वम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• अमानुषम्: non-human, superhuman
• अमानुषम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमानुष
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• प्रसह्य: having forced/violently (by force)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सह्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), parasmaipada (usage), non-finite

• तरसा: with speed/force
• तरसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरस्
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• संतस्थुः: stood still; halted; took position
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (सम् + स्था)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), third, plural, parasmaipada

• कालमोहिताः: bewildered by Time (fate)
• कालमोहिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कालमोहित
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural, क्त (past passive participle from मुह् with prefix moha- sense)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Daityas
• Kāla (Time/Fate)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even great powers can be arrested when Kāla (the force of time/fate) overwhelms discernment; ethical reflection in the Śānti context highlights how moha (delusion) disrupts right judgment and decisive action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a moment when the assembled Daityas witness an extraordinary, superhuman display of strength; their aggressive advance is abruptly checked, and, confused by the workings of Kāla, they stand motionless.