Shloka 37

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

Devanagari script

अवहारं तततक्रषुक्रे पिता देवव्रतस्तव । संध्याकाले महाराज सैन्यानां श्रान्तवाहन:,महाराज! तब आपके ताऊ देवव्रतने संध्याके समय अपनी सेनाको पीछे हटा लिया। उनके वाहन बहुत थक गये थे

Transliteration

avahāraṃ tatatākṛṣukre pitā devavratas tava | sandhyākāle mahārāja sainyānāṃ śrāntavāhanaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : Ô grand roi, ton oncle Devavrata (Bhīṣma), au temps du crépuscule, voyant les montures et les chars des troupes épuisés, ordonna la retraite et ramena l’armée en arrière.

Word by Word

अवहारम्withdrawal, retreat

तत्that

अकरोत्did, made

पिताfather; elder (here: paternal elder/guardian)

देवव्रतःDevavrata (Bhishma)

तवof you, your

सन्ध्याकालेat evening-time

महाराजO great king

सैन्यानाम्of the armies/troops

श्रान्तवाहनःwhose mounts/vehicles were tired

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Mahārāja (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Devavrata (Bhīṣma)

Kaurava army/troops

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?

Even in war, leadership must be governed by dharma and practical ethics: recognizing exhaustion and preventing needless loss by withdrawing at the proper time reflects restraint, responsibility, and care for one’s forces.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma (Devavrata), noticing the army’s mounts/vehicles were worn out, ordered the troops to pull back at twilight, ending or pausing the day’s engagement.