Shloka 176

Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

विबभौ राक्षसश्रेष्ठ: सज्वाल इव पर्वत: | सुवर्णमय पंखसे युक्त उन बाणोंको अपने अंगोंमें धारण किये महाबली राक्षसश्रेष्ठ अलम्बुष अग्निकी ज्वालाओंसे युक्त पर्वतकी भाँति शोभा पा रहा था

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | vibabhau rākṣasaśreṣṭhaḥ sajvāla iva parvataḥ | suvarṇamaya-paṅkha-saiḥ yuktaṃ bāṇān svāṅgeṣu dhārayitvā mahābalī rākṣasaśreṣṭho ’lambuṣo ’gni-jvālā-yukta-parvata iva śobhāṃ prāpa |

Translation

ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ອະລັມບຸຊາ ຜູ້ເປັນຍອດໃນບັນດາຣາກສະ ສ່ອງສະຫວ່າງດັ່ງພູເຂົາທີ່ຖືກພັນລ້ອມດ້ວຍແປວໄຟ. ຖືກປັກດ້ວຍລູກສອນມີປີກຄຳຢູ່ຕາມອະວະຍະວະຂອງຕົນ ແຕ່ຣາກສະຜູ້ມີພະລັງອັນໃຫຍ່ນັ້ນກໍຍັງງາມສະຫວ່າງດັ່ງຍອດພູທີ່ລຸກໄຟ. ພາບນີ້ຊີ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນຄວາມສະຫວ່າງອັນນ່າຢ້ານຂອງສົງຄາມ: ແມ່ນແຕ່ເມື່ອບາດເຈັບ ນັກຮົບຜູ້ແຂງແກ່ກໍອາດດູນ່າຄາລະວະ ແຕ່ຄວາມສະຫວ່າງນັ້ນບໍ່ອາດແຍກອອກຈາກຄວາມຮຸນແຮງ ແລະ ຄວາມທຸກທໍລະມານໄດ້.

Word by Word

• विबभौ: shone, appeared splendid
• Type: Verb
• Root: भा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• राक्षसश्रेष्ठः: the best of the Rakshasas
• राक्षसश्रेष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षसश्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सज्वालः: flaming, with flames
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सज्वाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• पर्वतः: a mountain
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Alambuṣa
• rākṣasa (demon-kind)
• arrows (bāṇāḥ) with golden wings (suvarṇamaya-paṅkha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the paradox of battlefield glory: a warrior may appear radiant and formidable even while pierced by arrows, but that splendor is born from conflict. It invites reflection on the ethical cost of war—power and brilliance are shown alongside injury and destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya describes Alambuṣa, a mighty rākṣasa fighter, who—though struck and carrying arrows in his body—still looks dazzling. The poet uses a simile: he resembles a mountain blazing with fire, emphasizing his terrifying presence in the battle.