Shloka 33

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्

The Tumult of Battle Described

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा रथान्‌ स्वान्‌ व्यपनीयमानान्‌ प्रत्युद्ययौ सात्यकिं योद्धुमिच्छन्‌

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā rathān svān vyapanīyamānān pratyudyayau sātyakiṃ yoddhum icchan | rājann! tadā tatra somadattaputraṃ bhūriśravāṃ vihāya nānyo yodhā viṣāda-grasto 'bhavat | bhārata! somadattakumāro mahāmanā bhūriśravā rathīn svān vivaśān palāyamānān dṛṣṭvā dhanuḥ gṛhītvā yuddhecchayā sātyakim abhyāruroha ||

Translation

आपले रथ मागे ढकलले जात आहेत असे पाहून सोमदत्तपुत्र भूरिश्रवा सात्यकीशी युद्ध करण्याच्या इच्छेने त्याला सामोरा जाण्यास पुढे सरसावला.

Word by Word

• {'dṛṣṭvā': 'having seen', 'rathān': 'chariots

• chariot-forces', 'svān': "one's own", 'vyapanīyamānān': 'being driven away/removed

• being pushed back', 'pratyudyayau': 'went forth to meet

• advanced in counter-attack', 'sātyakim': 'Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna), the Vṛṣṇi warrior', 'yoddhum': 'to fight', 'icchan': 'desiring

• intending', 'rājan': 'O King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'tadā': 'then

• at that time', 'tatra': 'there', 'somadatta-putra': 'son of Somadatta', 'bhūriśravā': 'Bhūriśravas (a Kaurava-side warrior)', 'vihāya': 'excepting

• leaving aside', 'nānyaḥ': 'no other', 'yodhā': 'warrior', 'viṣāda-grasta': 'overcome by despondency', 'bhārata': 'O descendant of Bharata', 'mahāmanā': 'great-souled

• high-minded', 'rathīn': 'chariot-warriors', 'vivaśān': 'helpless

• compelled', 'palāyamānān': 'fleeing

• running away', 'dhanuḥ': 'bow', 'gṛhītvā': 'having taken up', 'yuddha-icchayā': 'with desire/resolve for battle', 'abhyāruroha': 'advanced upon

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhūriśravas
• Somadatta
• Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna)
• chariots
• bow

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid collective discouragement, a warrior bound by kṣatriya-dharma may choose steadfast action: Bhūriśravas refuses to sink into viṣāda and instead takes up his bow to confront the enemy, embodying resolve and honor in crisis.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the Kaurava chariot-forces are pushed back and many warriors become dejected, Bhūriśravas—son of Somadatta—alone remains undismayed; seeing his side’s chariot-warriors fleeing, he advances to engage Sātyaki in battle.