Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

स्वयं दुर्योधनो राजा पार्षतं समुपाद्रवत्‌ । द्रोणाचार्यने विराटपर और अभ्व॒त्थामाने शिखण्डीपर धावा किया। स्वयं राजा दुर्योधनने ट्रपदपर चढ़ाई की ।। नकुल: सहदेवश्न मद्रराजानमीयतु:

Transliteration

svayaṃ duryodhano rājā pārṣataṃ samupādravat | droṇācāryaś ca virāṭaṃ śikhaṇḍinaṃ cābhyadhāvat | nakulaḥ sahadevaś ca madrarājānam īyatuḥ ||

Translation

संजय म्हणाला—स्वतः राजा दुर्योधन पृषतपुत्र धृष्टद्युम्नावर धावून गेला. द्रोणाचार्य विराटावर चाल करून गेले आणि द्रोणपुत्र अश्वत्थामा शिखंडीवर तुटून पडला. इकडे नकुल व सहदेव मद्रराजाशी युद्ध करण्यास गेले.

Word by Word

• स्वयम्: himself
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्
• Form: avyaya

• दुर्योधनः: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• पार्षतम्: the son of Prishata (Dhrishtadyumna)
• पार्षतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्षत
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• समुपाद्रवत्: rushed/charged at
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उप+आ+द्रु
• Form: imperfect (laṅ), 3rd person, singular, parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Dhṛṣṭadyumna (Pārṣata)
• Droṇācārya
• Virāṭa
• Śikhaṇḍin
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Śalya (king of Madra)
• Madra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, leaders deliberately choose opponents to meet strategic and personal aims; it implicitly raises the ethical tension between kṣatriya duty (fighting as required) and the destructive consequences of rivalry-driven violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports specific battlefield engagements: Duryodhana personally attacks Dhṛṣṭadyumna; Droṇa advances against Virāṭa and Śikhaṇḍin; and the twin Pāṇḍavas Nakula and Sahadeva move to confront Śalya, the king of Madra.