Shloka 33

Devanagari script

भीष्म हि कुरुशार्दूलमुद्यतेषुं महारणे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | bhīṣmaḥ hi kuruśārdūlam udyateṣuṃ mahāraṇe, śubhānane! tumhāre putra kuruśreṣṭha bhīṣma jab hātha meṃ dhanuṣ-bāṇa liye rahate, us samaya sākṣāt indra bhī unheṃ yuddha meṃ māra nahīṃ sakate the | ye to apnī icchā se hī śarīra tyāgakar svargaloka meṃ gaye haiṃ |

Translation

ವೈಶಂಪಾಯನನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—“ಶುಭಾನನೇ! ಮಹಾಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಕುರುಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಧನುಸ್ಸು-ಬಾಣಗಳನ್ನು ಎತ್ತಿ ನಿಂತಾಗ, ಸాక్షಾತ್ ಇಂದ್ರನೂ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಅವನನ್ನು ಸಂಹರಿಸಲಾರನು. ಅವನು ಸ್ವಇಚ್ಛೆಯಿಂದಲೇ ದೇಹವನ್ನು ತ್ಯಜಿಸಿ ಸ್ವರ್ಗಲೋಕಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋದನು.”

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• कुरुशार्दूलम्: the tiger among the Kurus (best of the Kurus)
• कुरुशार्दूलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरुशार्दूल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उद्यत-इषुम्: having arrows raised/ready (with arrow drawn)
• उद्यत-इषुम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यतइषु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महा-रणे: in the great battle
• महा-रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīṣma
• Kuru dynasty (Kurus)
• Indra
• svargaloka (heaven)
• dhanuṣ (bow)
• bāṇa (arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights Bhīṣma’s extraordinary martial power and, more importantly, his self-mastery: his end was not forced by an enemy or even a god, but chosen by his own will. It frames death as an act aligned with personal resolve and dharma rather than mere defeat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana explains to the addressed listener (“O fair-faced one”) that Bhīṣma, while armed and battle-ready, was invincible in ordinary combat—even Indra could not kill him. Bhīṣma ultimately left his body voluntarily and went to heaven.