Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

इन्द्रायुधसवर्ण तु विस्फार्य सुमहद्‌ धनु: । सृष्टवान्‌ वजसंकाशान्‌ शरानाशीविषोपमान्‌

Transliteration

indrāyudhasavarṇa tu visphārya sumahad dhanuḥ | sṛṣṭavān vajasaṅkāśān śarān āśīviṣopamān ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Having fully drawn his mighty bow, whose hue was like Indra’s rainbow, he loosed arrows that flashed like thunderbolts and were as deadly as venomous serpents—an image of the war’s fierce resolve and the peril that follows when power is unleashed without restraint.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रायुधसवर्णः: having the color of a rainbow
• इन्द्रायुधसवर्णः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्रायुध-सवर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• विस्फार्य: having stretched/drawn (it)
• विस्फार्य: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: विस्फारय्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (causative base)

• सुमहत्: very great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सृष्टवान्: released/shot
• सृष्टवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज्
• Form: क्तवतुँ (past active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वजसंकाशान्: resembling thunderbolts
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-संकाश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• आशीविषोपमान्: like venomous serpents
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशीविष-उपम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Indra
• Indra’s bow (rainbow)
• mighty bow (dhanuḥ)
• thunderbolt-like arrows
• venomous serpents (as simile)