Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

लोहितायति चादित्ये त्वरमाणो धनंजय: । पजञ्चविंशतिसाहस्रानु निजघान महारथान्‌

Transliteration

lohitāyati cāditye tvaramāṇo dhanañjayaḥ | pañcaviṃśati-sāhasrān u nijaghāna mahārathān ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「太陽が赤く染まるころ、ダナンジャヤ（アルジュナ）は急迫して攻め進み、二万五千の大車戦士を討ち倒した。」

Word by Word

• लोहितायति: becomes red, reddens
• Type: Verb
• Root: लोहिताय (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन

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

• आदित्ये: when/while the sun (is ...); in the sun
• आदित्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• त्वरमाणः: hastening
• त्वरमाणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वर (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धनंजयः: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पञ्चविंशतिसाहस्रान्: twenty-five thousand
• पञ्चविंशतिसाहस्रान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चविंशतिसाहस्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• नु: indeed, then (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• निजघान: slew, struck down
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्ष/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन

• महारथान्: great chariot-warriors
• महारथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• Āditya (the Sun)
• mahārathas (great chariot-warriors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, urgency and the pressure of time (the reddening sun, nearing day’s end) intensify action; it also implicitly raises the ethical gravity of killing on a vast scale even when framed as kṣatriya-duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that as evening approaches and the sun reddens, Arjuna fights with haste and overwhelms the opposing force, slaying a vast number of elite chariot-warriors.