Shloka 24

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा हि भीष्म॑ तमनन्तवीर्य भग्नं च सैन्यं द्रवमाणमेवम्‌ । भीतो<सि नून॑ द्रुपदस्य पुत्र तथा हि ते मुखवर्णो<प्रहृष्ट:,“ट्रपदकुमार! अनन्त पराक्रमी भीष्मको तथा उनके डरसे इस प्रकार हतोत्साह होकर भागती हुई मेरी इस सेनाको देखकर निश्चय ही तुम डर गये हो; क्योंकि तुम्हारे मुखकी कान्ति कुछ ऐसी ही अप्रसन्न दिखायी देती है

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā hi bhīṣmaṃ tam anantavīryaṃ bhagnaṃ ca sainyaṃ dravamāṇam evam | bhīto 'si nūnaṃ drupadasya putra tathā hi te mukhavarṇo 'prahṛṣṭaḥ ||

Translation

サンジャヤは言った。「無辺の威力をもつビーシュマを見、軍勢が打ち崩されてこのように逃げ散るのを見て、ドゥルパダの子よ、汝はきっと恐れているのだ。汝の顔色は、確信の輝きに満ちてはいないからだ。」

Word by Word

• {'dṛṣṭvā': 'having seen', 'hi': 'indeed, for', 'bhīṣmam': 'Bhīṣma (the Kuru grandsire and commander)', 'tam': 'that (him)', 'anantavīryam': 'of limitless valor/might', 'bhagnam': 'broken, routed, shattered', 'ca': 'and', 'sainyam': 'army', 'dravamāṇam': 'running away, fleeing', 'evam': 'thus, in this way', 'bhītaḥ asi': 'you are afraid', 'nūnam': 'surely, certainly', 'drupadasya putra': 'son of Drupada (Dṛṣṭadyumna)', 'tathā hi': 'for indeed, just so', 'te': 'your', 'mukhavarṇaḥ': 'facial complexion/color

• expression', 'aprahṛṣṭaḥ': 'not delighted

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Drupada
• Dṛṣṭadyumna
• army (sainya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how inner states—fear, confidence, resolve—manifest outwardly, and how leaders read such signs in war. Ethically, it underscores the kṣatriya expectation of steadiness under pressure and the moral weight of maintaining courage when one’s forces falter.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses Drupada’s son Dṛṣṭadyumna, pointing out that Bhīṣma’s overwhelming prowess and the sight of the army breaking and fleeing have shaken him. Sañjaya infers Dṛṣṭadyumna’s fear from his visibly altered, joyless facial expression.