Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तं शब्दं तुमुलं श्रुत्वा पाण्डवानां महारथा:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

taṁ śabdaṁ tumulaṁ śrutvā pāṇḍavānāṁ mahārathāḥ |

atāḍayan raṇe bhīṣmaṁ sahitāḥ sarvasṛñjayāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Entendant ce rugissement immense et tumultueux soulevé par les Pāṇḍava, tous les grands guerriers de char des Sṛñjaya, rangés en formation serrée, fondirent sur Bhīṣma dans la mêlée et le frappèrent de toutes parts.

Word by Word

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शब्दम्: sound, noise
• शब्दम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तुमुलम्: tumultuous, dreadful
• तुमुलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुमुल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here), Non-finite

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pandavas
• पाण्डवानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महारथाः: great chariot-warriors
• महारथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अताडयन्: struck, beat
• अताडयन्: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: ताड्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

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

• भीष्मम्: Bhishma
• भीष्मम्: Karma
• Type: ProperNoun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सहिताः: together, united
• सहिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सृञ्जयाः: the Sṛñjayas
• सृञ्जयाः: Karta
• Type: ProperNoun
• Root: सृञ्जय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍavas
• Bhīṣma
• Sṛñjayas
• battlefield (raṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield tension between personal reverence and martial duty: once a revered elder like Bhīṣma leads the opposing army, the warriors’ obligation to their side and to the rules of war compels a united assault, illustrating how kṣatriya-dharma can demand hard, impersonal action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that, after hearing the Pāṇḍavas’ tremendous battle-roar, the Sṛñjaya great warriors collectively attack Bhīṣma in the fight, striking him from all directions as the battle intensifies around the Kuru commander.