Shloka 25

Kaurava Mobilization at Kurukṣetra (Duryodhana Orders War Preparations) / कुरुक्षेत्रे धार्तराष्ट्र-सैन्यसज्जा

Devanagari script

धृष्टद्युम्नमहं मन्‍्ये सहेद्‌ भीष्मस्य सायकान्‌ । वज्जाशनिसमस्पर्शान्‌ दीप्तास्यथानुरगानिव

Transliteration

dhṛṣṭadyumnam ahaṃ manye sahed bhīṣmasya sāyakān | vajrāśani-samasparśān dīptāsyathānuragān iva ||

Translation

ಧೃಷ್ಟದ್ಯುಮ್ನನು ಭೀಷ್ಮನ ಸಾಯಕಗಳನ್ನು ಸಹಿಸಬಲ್ಲನೆಂದು ನಾನು ಮನ್ಯೆ—ಅವುಗಳ ಸ್ಪರ್ಶ ವಜ್ರ-ಅಶನಿಯಂತೆ ದುಸ್ಸಹ; ದೀಪ್ತಮುಖ ಸರ್ಪಗಳಂತೆ ಅವು ಧಾವಿಸುತ್ತವೆ.

Word by Word

• धृष्टद्युम्नम्: Dhrishtadyumna (as object)
• धृष्टद्युम्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• मन्ये: think/consider
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (मन्यते)
• Form: Present, First, Singular, Atmanepada

• सहेत्: could endure/withstand
• Type: Verb
• Root: सह् (सहते)
• Form: Optative (Potential), Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• भीष्मस्य: of Bhishma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सायकान्: arrows
• सायकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वज्र: thunderbolt/diamond (as first member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र
• Form: Neuter, —, —

• अशनि: lightning (as first member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशनि
• Form: Feminine, —, —

• सम: equal/like (as compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम
• Form: —, —, —

• स्पर्शान्: touches/contacts
• स्पर्शान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्पर्श
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दीप्त: blazing, shining (as compound member)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (√दीप्)
• Form: —, —, —

• आस्य: mouth/face (as compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्य
• Form: Neuter, —, —

• अथ: and/then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अनुरगान्: serpents
• अनुरगान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुरग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Bhīṣma
• sāyaka (arrows)
• vajra (thunderbolt)
• aśani (lightning)
• serpents (metaphor: blazing-mouthed snakes)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores prudent leadership in dharmic crisis: when conflict becomes unavoidable, responsibility should be placed on one capable of bearing the heaviest, most dangerous burden—here, facing Bhīṣma’s near-unstoppable force—so that the community is not shattered by misjudgment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation context, the speaker asserts that Dhṛṣṭadyumna alone is fit to endure Bhīṣma’s terrifying arrows, described through powerful similes (thunderbolt/lightning; blazing serpents), thereby supporting Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s suitability for a leading martial role.