Shloka 10

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

Devanagari script

शरांस्तान्‌ मृत्युसंस्पर्शान्‌ सात्यकेश्व पदानुगा:

Transliteration

śarāṁs tān mṛtyusaṁsparśān sātyakeśva padānugāḥ

Translation

സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ആ അമ്പുകൾ മരണസ്പർശസമം; സാത്യകിയുടെ പാദചിഹ്നങ്ങളെ പിന്തുടർന്ന് അവൻ മുന്നേറുമ്പോൾ അവയും പിന്നാലെ പാഞ്ഞുവന്നു।

Word by Word

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मृत्युसंस्पर्शान्: having the touch of death; death-dealing
• मृत्युसंस्पर्शान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत्युसंस्पर्श
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सात्यके: in/at Sātyaki
• सात्यके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्यकि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• पदानुगाः: following the footsteps; tracking
• पदानुगाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पदानुग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna)
• arrows (śarāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the stark reality of righteous warfare: a warrior who advances in duty must face mortal danger without retreat, and the narrative highlights steadfastness under lethal threat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Sātyaki being closely pursued by deadly arrows—so fatal they are likened to the touch of death—indicating intense pressure on him in the battle scene.