Shloka 13

Adhyāya 107 — बहुयुद्धप्रकरणम्

Multiple Defensive Engagements to Protect Bhīṣma

Devanagari script

ज्ञायमाना रणे वीर्य घोरं गाण्डीवधन्चन: । हाहाकारकृतोत्साहा भीष्म जग्मु: समन्‍्ततः

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

jñāyamānā raṇe vīryaṃ ghoraṃ gāṇḍīvadhanvanaḥ |

hāhākārakṛtotsāhā bhīṣmaṃ jagmuḥ samantataḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: «Al reconocer en la batalla la terrible pujanza del portador del arco Gāṇḍīva, los guerreros—enardecidos entre gritos de alarma—se cerraron sobre Bhīṣma por todos los flancos.»

Word by Word

• ज्ञायमाना: being known / becoming manifest
• ज्ञायमाना: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular, शानच् (लट्, आत्मनेपद; वर्तमान-कालिक कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वीर्यं: prowess
• वीर्यं: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• घोरं: terrible
• घोरं: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• गाण्डीवधन्वनः: the one whose bow is Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna)
• गाण्डीवधन्वनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डीवधन्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हाहाकारकृतोत्साहाः: whose ardor was roused by cries of ‘hā-hā’ (uproar)
• हाहाकारकृतोत्साहाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हाहाकार-कृत-उत्साह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भीष्मम्: Bhīṣma
• भीष्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जग्मुः: went / advanced
• जग्मुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Plural, परस्मैपद

• समन्ततः: on all sides / from every direction
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Gāṇḍīva
• Arjuna (implied by 'Gāṇḍīvadhanvan')

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a moral-psychological dynamic of warfare: when overwhelming prowess is recognized, fear and urgency can galvanize coordinated action. It also reflects the tension of kṣatriya-dharma—fighters act from duty and allegiance even amid alarm and ethical complexity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, seeing the dreadful strength of the Gāṇḍīva-wielding archer (Arjuna), the warriors—amid cries of alarm—move to surround and support Bhīṣma from all directions, indicating a defensive consolidation around their commander.