Shloka 35

Adhyāya 111 (Book 6): Daśama-dina-saṃgrāma—Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira and the Śikhaṇḍin-Led Advance

Devanagari script

शक्राशनिसमस्पर्शान्‌ विमुज्चन्‌ निशिताउछरान्‌ | दिक्ष्वदृश्यत सर्वासु घोरं संधारयन्‌ वपु:

Transliteration

śakrāśani-samasparśān vimuñcan niśitāñ śarān | dikṣv adṛśyata sarvāsu ghoraṃ saṃdhārayan vapuḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Décochant des flèches acérées dont le contact était aussi insupportable que le foudre (vajra) d’Indra, Bhīṣma semblait apparaître dans toutes les directions, revêtant une forme terrifiante.

Word by Word

• शक्राशनिसमस्पर्शान्: having touch like Indra's thunderbolt
• शक्राशनिसमस्पर्शान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्राशनि-सम-स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विमुञ्चन्: releasing, discharging
• विमुञ्चन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निशित: sharp
• निशित: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• उच्छरान्: arrows (missiles)
• उच्छरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्छर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दिक्षु: in the directions
• दिक्षु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• अदृश्यत: was seen, appeared
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Atmanepada, 3rd, Singular

• सर्वासु: in all
• सर्वासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• घोरम्: terrible, dreadful
• घोरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• संधारयन्: bearing, assuming, holding
• संधारयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + धृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वपुः: form, body
• वपुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Śakra (Indra)
• aśani (thunderbolt)
• śara (arrows)
• dik (the directions/quarters)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the awe-inspiring potency of martial power in a dharma-yuddha setting, while implicitly cautioning that even righteous warfare manifests as terrifying destruction; strength and duty operate within a morally weighty, tragic arena.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma is unleashing volleys of razor-sharp arrows, their impact likened to Indra’s thunderbolt, and that Bhīṣma appears fearsome and dominant across all quarters of the battlefield.