Shloka 51

भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः

Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas

Devanagari script

अदर्शयद्‌ वासुदेवो हययाने परं बलम्‌ | मोघान्‌ कुर्वज्शरांस्तस्य मण्डलानि निदर्शयन्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | adarśayad vāsudevo hayayāne paraṁ balam | moghān kurvañ śarāṁs tasya maṇḍalāni nidarśayan |

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Vāsudeva déploya sa suprême prouesse dans l’art de mener les chevaux. Par des manœuvres circulaires et des virages habiles, le Bienheureux Śrī Kṛṣṇa rendait sans cesse les flèches de Bhīṣma inopérantes, protégeant Arjuna au cœur de la fureur du combat.

Word by Word

• अदर्शयत्: showed
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (दर्शन)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3, singular, परस्मैपद

• वासुदेवः: Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• वासुदेवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• हययाने: in (the act of) driving the horse-chariot / in horsemanship
• हययाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हययान
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• परम्: supreme, excellent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• बलम्: strength, power
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• मोघान्: vain, futile
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोघ
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• कुर्वन्: making, rendering
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine, nominative, singular

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• तस्य: of him (Bhīṣma)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• मण्डलानि: circles, circuits (maneuvers)
• मण्डलानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• निदर्शयन्: displaying, demonstrating
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + दृश्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), masculine, nominative, singular

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• श्रीकृष्णः: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• श्रीकृष्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीकृष्ण
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Vāsudeva (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)
• Bhīṣma
• arrows (śarāḥ)
• horses
• chariot

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid righteous conflict, excellence in one’s duty (here, Kṛṣṇa’s charioteering) becomes a means of protection and restraint: skill guided by higher purpose can neutralize harm without abandoning dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Kṛṣṇa’s masterful chariot-driving: by circling and maneuvering, he causes Bhīṣma’s volleys to miss or lose effect, safeguarding Arjuna during the intense fighting.