Shloka 13

Bhīṣma’s Fall, the Arrow-bed (śara-talpa), and the Establishment of Guard

Devanagari script

वपूंषि च नरेन्द्राणां विगताभानि लक्षये । धार्रराष्ट्रस्य सैन्येषु न च भ्राजन्ति दंशिता:,“राजाओंके शरीरोंको मैं श्रीहीन देख रहा हूँ। दुर्योधनकी सेनाओंमें जो लोग कवच धारण करके स्थित हैं, उनकी शोभा नहीं हो रही है

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | vapūṁṣi ca narendrāṇāṁ vigatābhāni lakṣaye | dhārtarāṣṭrasya sainyeṣu na ca bhrājanti daṁśitāḥ |

Translation

Aku melihat tubuh para raja telah kehilangan sinarnya. Dan di antara pasukan putra-putra Dhṛtarāṣṭra, bahkan mereka yang berdiri berzirah pun tidak tampak bercahaya.

Word by Word

वपूंषिbodies

चand

नरेन्द्राणाम्of kings

विगताभानिdevoid of radiance/splendour

लक्षयेI observe/notice

धार्तराष्ट्रस्यof Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s (i.e., Duryodhana’s)

सैन्येषुin the armies

नnot

चand

भ्राजन्तिshine/appear splendid

दंशिताःarmoured; clad in mail

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Dhārtarāṣṭra army (Kaurava forces)

narendra (kings)

armor (kavaca)

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?

Outer power—rank, weapons, and armor—cannot sustain true splendor when inner confidence and righteousness decline. The verse hints that moral imbalance and fear manifest as a visible loss of radiance, functioning as an omen of impending defeat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra his observations from the battlefield: the kings on the Kaurava side appear lusterless, and even armored warriors do not look radiant. This description conveys falling morale and an inauspicious atmosphere within Duryodhana’s forces.