Shloka 9

भीष्मस्य मण्डलव्यूहः — Bhīṣma’s Maṇḍala Battle-Formation and the Opening Engagements

Devanagari script

इन्द्रायुधसवर्ण तु विस्फार्य सुमहद्‌ धनु: । सृष्टवान्‌ वजसंकाशान्‌ शरानाशीविषोपमान्‌

Transliteration

indrāyudhasavarṇa tu visphārya sumahad dhanuḥ | sṛṣṭavān vajasaṅkāśān śarān āśīviṣopamān ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: Tras tensar por completo su arco inmenso, de color semejante al arco iris de Indra, soltó flechas que fulguraban como vajras y eran mortíferas como serpientes venenosas.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रायुधसवर्णः: having the color of a rainbow
• इन्द्रायुधसवर्णः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्रायुध-सवर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• विस्फार्य: having stretched/drawn (it)
• विस्फार्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: विस्फारय्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (causative base)

• सुमहत्: very great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सृष्टवान्: released/shot
• सृष्टवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज्
• Form: क्तवतुँ (past active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वजसंकाशान्: resembling thunderbolts
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-संकाश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• आशीविषोपमान्: like venomous serpents
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशीविष-उपम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Indra
• Indra’s bow (rainbow)
• mighty bow (dhanuḥ)
• thunderbolt-like arrows
• venomous serpents (as simile)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how martial power, once drawn and released, becomes swift and lethal; it implicitly warns that force carries grave consequences and must be governed by dharma and restraint, especially amid the chaos of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior drawing a great bow likened to Indra’s rainbow and then shooting arrows compared to thunderbolts and venomous snakes, emphasizing the intensity and deadly momentum of the battle.