Shloka 22

भीष्मधृतराष्ट्रसंवादः — पाण्डवबलप्रशंसा

Bhishma–Dhritarashtra Dialogue: Appraisal of Pandava Strength

Devanagari script

एतस्य योधा राजेन्द्र विचित्रकवचायुधा: । विचरिष्यन्ति संग्रामे निघ्नन्तः शात्रवांस्तव

Transliteration

etasya yodhā rājendra vicitrakavacāyudhāḥ | vicarīṣyanti saṅgrāme nighnantaḥ śātravāṁs tava ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “O king, the warriors of this man—arrayed in wondrous armor and armed with varied weapons—will range across the battlefield, striking down your foes.”

Word by Word

• एतस्य: of this (one)
• एतस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• योधाः: warriors/soldiers
• योधाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: योध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विचित्रकवचायुधाः: having varied armor and weapons
• विचित्रकवचायुधाः: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र-कवच-आयुध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विचरिष्यन्ति: they will roam/move about
• विचरिष्यन्ति: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर्
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Third, Plural

• संग्रामे: in battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• निघ्नन्तः: killing/slaying
• निघ्नन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन्
• Form: Present active participle (Śatṛ), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शात्रवान्: enemies
• शात्रवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शात्रव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• rājendra (the king addressed, i.e., Dhṛtarāṣṭra in context)
• yodhāḥ (warriors)
• kavaca (armor)
• āyudha (weapons)
• saṅgrāma (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the king’s reliance on well-equipped, disciplined warriors and the protective role of martial preparedness; it reflects the kṣatriya-world ethic where safeguarding one’s side and confronting hostile forces is treated as a royal necessity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses the king, assuring him that the warriors aligned with the person being discussed will move through the battlefield in splendid armor and with weapons, actively destroying the king’s enemies—an encouragement framed as strategic confidence before war.