Shloka 19

तानहं शरवर्षेण समन्तात्‌ पर्यवारयम्‌ । सर्वान्‌ नृपांश्वाप्पजयं देवराडिव दानवान्‌,तब मैंने भी बाणोंकी वर्षा करके चारों ओरसे उनकी प्रगति रोक दी और जैसे देवराज इन्द्र दानवोंपर विजय पाते हैं, उसी प्रकार मैंने भी उन सब नरेशोंको जीत लिया

tān ahaṃ śaravarṣeṇa samantāt paryavārayam | sarvān nṛpān śvāpajayaṃ devarāḍ iva dānavān ||

Bhīṣma said: “I hemmed them in on every side with a rain of arrows, checking their advance. And just as Indra, lord of the gods, overcomes the Dānavas, so too did I subdue all those kings.”

तान्them
तान्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
Form—, Nominative, Singular
शरवर्षेणwith a shower of arrows
शरवर्षेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootशर-वर्ष
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
समन्तात्on all sides / from every side
समन्तात्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसमन्तात्
Formtrue
पर्यवारयम्I hemmed in / I checked / I surrounded
पर्यवारयम्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootपरि + √वृ (वरणे/आवरणे)
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada
सर्वान्all
सर्वान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootसर्व
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
नृपान्kings
नृपान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनृप
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
Formtrue
अपजयम्I conquered / I defeated
अपजयम्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअप + √जि (जये)
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada
देवराट्the king of the gods (Indra)
देवराट्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदेवराज्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
इवlike / as
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव
Formtrue
दानवान्demons (Dānavas)
दानवान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootदानव
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
I
Indra (Devarāṭ)
D
Dānavas
K
kings (nṛpāḥ)
A
arrows (śarāḥ)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights kṣatriya-duty expressed as disciplined martial restraint: Bhīṣma does not merely attack, but strategically contains and subdues opponents, framing victory as the rightful overcoming of disruptive forces—likened to Indra’s triumph over the Dānavas.

Bhīṣma recounts a battle episode in which he halts the advance of multiple kings by surrounding them with a dense volley of arrows, then defeats them, comparing his success to Indra’s victory over the Dānavas.