Shloka 8

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

Devanagari script

अशोभत मुखे तस्य भीमसेनो महाबल: । नेत्रे शिखण्डी दुर्धर्षो धृष्टद्युम्नश्व॒ पार्षत:,शत्रुओंको युद्धके लिये उद्यत हुए देख यशस्वी पाण्डव युद्धमें अजेय व्यूहराज श्येनके रूपमें संगठित हो शोभा पाने लगे। उस व्यूहके मुखभागमें महाबली भीमसेन शोभा पा रहे थे। नेत्रोंके स्थानमें दुर्धर्ष वीर शिखण्डी तथा द्रुपदकुमार धृष्टद्युम्न खड़े थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

aśobhat mukhe tasya bhīmaseno mahābalaḥ |

etre śikhaṇḍī durdharṣo dhṛṣṭadyumnaś ca pārṣataḥ ||

Translation

Di bagian depan formasi itu, Bhīmasena yang maha perkasa tampak bersinar. Pada tempat ‘mata’-nya berdiri Śikhaṇḍin yang tak tergoyahkan dan Dhṛṣṭadyumna, putra Pṛṣata.

Word by Word

अशोभतshone, was splendid

मुखेin the mouth/front

तस्यof that (formation/array)

भीमसेनःBhimasena

महाबलःmighty-armed/very strong

नेत्रेin the two eyes (as positions)

शिखण्डीShikhandi

दुर्धर्षःhard to assail, formidable

धृष्टद्युम्नःDhrishtadyumna

चand

पार्षतःthe son of Prishata (Drupada)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Śikhaṇḍin

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

Pṛṣata

Śyena-vyūha (hawk formation)

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 dharmic warfare’s demand for disciplined organization and responsible leadership: strength (Bhīma) must be guided by clear vision and command (the ‘eyes’ as Śikhaṇḍin and Dhṛṣṭadyumna), so that power serves a principled objective rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the Pāṇḍavas forming the Śyena (hawk) battle-array. Bhīma stands at the front, while Śikhaṇḍin and Dhṛṣṭadyumna occupy the crucial forward positions likened to the formation’s eyes.