Shloka 22

भीष्मभीमसमागमः — Bhīṣma–Bhīma Strategic Engagement and Counsel to the King

Devanagari script

सर्वत: शुशुभे राजन्‌ रणे5रीणां दुरासद: । मण्डलं तु समालोक्य व्यूहं परमदुर्जयम्‌

Transliteration

sarvataḥ śuśubhe rājan raṇe 'rīṇāṃ durāsadaḥ | maṇḍalaṃ tu samālokya vyūhaṃ paramadurjayam ||

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ! യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിൽ ശത്രുക്കളുടെ ആ വ്യൂഹം എല്ലാദിക്കിലും ദീപ്തമായി തിളങ്ങി; അതിലേക്കു സമീപിക്കുക അത്യന്തം ദുഷ്കരം. ആ പരമദുര്ജയമായ ‘മണ്ഡല’ വ്യൂഹം കണ്ടപ്പോൾ ഭയവും വിസ്മയവും ഒരുമിച്ച് ഉയർന്നു।

Word by Word

सर्वतःon all sides, everywhere

शुशुभेshone, was splendid

राजन्O king

रणेin battle

अरीणाम्of the enemies

दुरासदःhard to assail/approach

मण्डलम्circle, ring-formation

तुbut, indeed

समालोक्यhaving looked at, observing

व्यूहम्battle-array, formation

परमदुर्जयम्most difficult to conquer

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

enemies/foes (arīṇām)

maṇḍala (circular formation)

vyūha (battle formation)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how disciplined military organization (vyūha) can become a formidable moral and practical challenge in war: brilliance and order may mask danger, reminding the listener that power and strategy intensify the stakes and consequences of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the enemy host in the battlefield appears splendid and difficult to assail, specifically noting a circular (maṇḍala) battle formation that is extremely hard to defeat.