Shloka 4

Devanagari script

रणयज्ञे प्रवितते सुभीमे लोमहर्षणे | दीक्षितं चिररात्राय श्रुत्वा तत्र युधिष्ठिर:,जनमेजयने पूछा--भगवन्‌! भरतवंशियोंके पितामह गंगानन्दन महात्मा भीष्म सम्पूर्ण शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ थे। समस्त राजाओंमें ध्वजके समान उनका बहुत ऊँचा स्थान था। वे बुद्धिमें बृहस्पति, क्षमामें पृथ्वी, गम्भीरतामें समुद्र, स्थिरतामें हिमवान्‌, उदारतामें प्रजापति और तेजमें भगवान्‌ सूर्यके समान थे। वे अपने बाणोंकी वर्षद्वारा देवराज इन्द्रके समान शत्रुओंका विध्वंस करनेवाले थे। उस समय जो अत्यन्त भयंकर तथा रोमांचकारी रणयज्ञ आरम्भ हुआ था, उसमें उन्होंने जब दीर्घकालके लिये दीक्षा ले ली, तब इस समाचारको सुननेके पश्चात्‌ सम्पूर्ण शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ महाबाहु युधिष्ठिरने क्या कहा? भीमसेन तथा अर्जुनने भी उसके बारेमें क्या कहा? अथवा भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्णने अपना मत किस प्रकार व्यक्त किया?

Transliteration

raṇayajñe pravṛtte subhīme lomaharṣaṇe | dīkṣitaṃ cirarātrāya śrutvā tatra yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | janamejaya uvāca ||

Translation

Janamejaya said: When that dread and hair-raising ‘sacrifice of battle’ had begun, and Bhīṣma had taken a long-term vow of consecration for it, Yudhiṣṭhira—on hearing this—what did he say? What did Bhīma and Arjuna say about it? And how did Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa express his judgment?

Word by Word

रणयज्ञेin the battle-sacrifice

प्रविततेhaving been spread/extended (was set forth)

सुभीमेin the very terrible (one)

लोमहर्षणेin the hair-raising (one)

दीक्षितम्one who has taken consecration/initiated

चिररात्रायfor a long time (lit. for a long night)

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

तत्रthere

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

जनमेजयम्Janamejaya

अपृच्छत्asked

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janamejaya

Yudhiṣṭhira

Bhīma

Arjuna

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames war as a ‘yajña’ requiring vows and resolve, prompting ethical scrutiny: when a revered elder commits himself to a destructive course, righteous leaders must respond with discernment—balancing reverence, duty, and the imperative to minimize adharma and suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janamejaya asks the narrator to report the responses of Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, and Kṛṣṇa after they learn that Bhīṣma has undertaken a long consecration-like commitment to the impending battle, signaling his firm participation in the Kurukṣetra conflict.