Shloka 91

भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal

Devanagari script

वर्तमाने तथा रौद्रे संग्रामे भरतर्षभ । उभयो: सेनयो: शूरा नामृष्यन्त परस्परम्‌,भरतश्रेष्ठ] उस भयंकर संग्राममें दोनों सेनाओंके शूरवीर एक-दूसरेका उत्कर्ष नहीं सह सके

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | vartamāne tathā raudre saṅgrāme bharatarṣabha | ubhayoḥ senayoḥ śūrā nāmṛṣyanta parasparam |

Translation

ഹേ ഭരതർഷഭാ! അങ്ങനെ രൗദ്രമായ സംഗ्रामം തുടരുമ്പോൾ, ഇരുസേനകളിലെ ശൂരന്മാർ പരസ്പരത്തിന്റെ മേൽക്കൈ സഹിച്ചില്ല; ഒരാളുടെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠത മറ്റൊരാൾ അംഗീകരിക്കാതെ ഏറ്റുമുട്ടൽ കൂടുതൽ കഠിനമായി.

Word by Word

वर्तमानेwhile occurring / in progress

तथाthus, likewise

रौद्रेfierce, terrible

संग्रामेin the battle

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

उभयोःof both

सेनयोःof the two armies

शूराःheroes, warriors

नnot

अमृष्यन्तdid not tolerate / could not bear

परस्परम्each other, mutually

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address 'bharatarṣabha')

the two armies (Pāṇḍava and Kaurava forces)

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 unchecked pride and intolerance of another’s excellence fuels escalation in conflict. Even among 'heroes,' refusal to bear the other side’s success intensifies violence—an ethical warning about envy and competitive rage overriding restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the battle has become extremely fierce. Warriors on both sides, unable to tolerate each other’s advantage or prowess, press the fight harder, driving the combat toward greater intensity.