Shloka 11

Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies

Devanagari script

ध्वजा बहुविधाकारा व्यदृश्यन्त समुच्छिता: । स्वेषां चैव परेषां च द्युतिमन्त: सहस्रश:,अपने और शत्रुओंके अनेक प्रकारके ऊँचे-ऊँचे चमकीले ध्वज हजारोंकी संख्यामें दृष्टिगोचर हो रहे थे

Transliteration

dhvajā bahuvidhākārā vyadṛśyanta samucchitāḥ | sveṣāṃ caiva pareṣāṃ ca dyutimantaḥ sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Lofty banners of many different shapes and designs came into view—on both sides, ours and the enemy’s—shining brilliantly in their thousands. The scene signals the vast scale of the impending battle and the outward display of power and identity that precedes the moral trial of war.

Word by Word

• ध्वजाः: flags, banners
• ध्वजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बहुविधाकाराः: of many kinds of forms
• बहुविधाकाराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुविधाकार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• व्यदृश्यन्त: were seen, appeared
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Ātmanepada

• समुच्छिताः: raised up, lofty
• समुच्छिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उद्-छि (समुच्छित)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, kta (past passive participle)

• स्वेषाम्: of their own (side)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: स्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• परेषाम्: of the others, of the enemies
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• द्युतिमन्तः: shining, radiant
• द्युतिमन्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्युतिमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सहस्रशः: by thousands, in thousands
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहस्रशस्

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• dhvaja (banners/standards)
• Kaurava army (implied by 'ours')
• Pāṇḍava army (implied by 'the enemy')