Shloka 36

भीष्मस्य अप्रतिमपराक्रमः — शिखण्डिपुरस्कृतः प्रहारः

Bhīṣma’s unmatched momentum and the assault with Śikhaṇḍin in the lead

Devanagari script

सो&5तिविद्धो महेष्वास: पुत्रेण तव धन्विना । व्यराजत रणे पार्थ: किंशुकः पुष्पवानिव,आपके धनुर्धर पुत्रद्वारा युद्धमें अधिक घायल किये जानेपर महाधनुर्धर अर्जुन खिले हुए पलाशवृक्षके समान शोभा पाने लगे

Transliteration

so 'tividdho maheṣvāsaḥ putreṇa tava dhanvinā | vyarājata raṇe pārthaḥ kiṃśukaḥ puṣpavān iva ||

Translation

Sañjaya berkata: Walau berulang kali ditembus oleh putramu yang mahir memanah, sang pemanah agung Pārtha tetap bersinar di medan perang bagaikan pohon kiṃśuka yang sedang mekar penuh.

Word by Word

सःhe (that one)

अतिविद्धःpierced very much / grievously wounded

महेष्वासःgreat archer

पुत्रेणby (your) son

तवyour

धन्विनाby the bowman / archer

विराजतshone, appeared splendid

रणेin battle

पार्थःPartha (Arjuna)

किंशुकःa palāśa tree (Butea monosperma)

पुष्पवान्flowering, full of blossoms

इवlike, as if

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna (Pārtha, son of Pṛthā)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'tava')

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (unnamed here; a Kaurava prince)

Bow (dhanus, implied by dhanvin)

Battlefield (raṇa)

Kiṃśuka/Palāśa tree (Butea monosperma)

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?

The verse highlights steadfast valor: a righteous warrior’s inner resolve can make him appear even more radiant amid suffering. The poetic image suggests that wounds do not necessarily diminish dharmic courage; they can reveal it more vividly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna, though heavily pierced by Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son’s arrows, continues to stand out in battle, shining like a palāśa (kiṃśuka) tree covered with blossoms.