Shloka 15

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ७२: सैन्यगुणवर्णनम्, व्यूहरक्षा, दैव-पुरुषकारचिन्ता

Devanagari script

सम्मुहृति तदा सैन्ये त्वरमाणो धनंजय: । भीष्मं शरसहस्त्रेण विव्याध रणमूर्थनि,उस समय अपनी सेनाको मोहित होती देख अर्जुनने बड़ी उतावलीके साथ युद्धके मुहानेपर एक हजार बाणोंकी वर्षा करके भीष्मको घायल कर दिया

Transliteration

sammuhyati tadā sainye tvaramāṇo dhanañjayaḥ | bhīṣmaṃ śarasahasreṇa vivyādha raṇamūrdhani ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Alors, voyant sa propre armée gagnée par la confusion, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), avec une résolution pressante, frappa Bhīṣma à l’avant même de la bataille, le perçant de mille flèches.

Word by Word

सम्मुह्यतिbecomes deluded / is bewildered

तदाthen

सैन्येin the army

त्वरमाणःhastening

धनंजयःDhanañjaya (Arjuna)

भीष्मम्Bhīṣma

शर-सहस्रेणwith a thousand arrows

विव्याधpierced / wounded

रण-मूर्धनिat the forefront/crown of battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna (Dhanañjaya)

Bhīṣma

arrows (śara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When a revered figure becomes the main support of an unjust side, dharma may require firm resistance without personal hatred. The verse highlights decisive, duty-driven action in war to prevent one’s forces from collapsing into confusion.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the army is thrown into disarray, Arjuna urgently advances to the battle-front and showers Bhīṣma with a thousand arrows, wounding him and attempting to check Bhīṣma’s overwhelming dominance.