Bhishma Parva Adhyaya 121 Shloka 256 - Mahabharata | Oriya | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 256

Devanagari script

शिक्षाबलेन निहतं पित्रा तव विशाम्पते । भरतश्रेष्ठ] उस दसवें दिनके आनेपर एकमात्र भीष्मने युद्धमें मत्स्य और पांचालदेशकी सेनाओंके अगणित हाथी

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | śikṣābalena nihataṃ pitrā tava viśāmpate |

Translation

ସଞ୍ଜୟ କହିଲେ—ପ୍ରଜାନାଥ! ଏହା ସବୁ ଆପଣଙ୍କ ପିତା ନିଜ ଅସ୍ତ୍ର-ଶିକ୍ଷାବଳରେ ହିଁ ସାଧିଥିଲେ। ସେଇ ଦଶମ ଦିନେ ଏକା ଭୀଷ୍ମ ଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ମତ୍ସ୍ୟ ଓ ପାଞ୍ଚାଳ ସେନାର ଅଗଣିତ ହାତୀ-ଘୋଡ଼ାକୁ ନିହତ କରି, ସାତ ମହାରଥୀଙ୍କୁ ବଧ କଲେ। ପୁଣି ପାଞ୍ଚ ହଜାର ରଥୀଙ୍କୁ ମାରି, ଆପଣଙ୍କ ପିତୃତୁଲ୍ୟ ଭୀଷ୍ମ ସେଇ ମହାଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ନିଜ ଶସ୍ତ୍ର-ଶିକ୍ଷାବଳରେ ଚଉଦ ହଜାର ପଦାତି, ଏକ ହଜାର ହାତୀ ଓ ଦଶ ହଜାର ଘୋଡ଼ାଙ୍କୁ ସଂହାର କଲେ।

Word by Word

शिक्षा-बलेनby the strength of (weapon-)training

निहतम्slain/struck down

पित्राby (your) father

तवof you/your

विशाम्-पतेO lord of the people

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Dhritarashtra (implied addressee as viśāmpate)

Bhishma (implied as ‘your father’ in this narrative frame)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The line highlights how disciplined training (śikṣā) becomes a decisive force (bala). Ethically, it points to the ambivalence of excellence: mastery and duty can produce awe-inspiring skill, yet in war that same skill magnifies destruction, raising questions about responsibility and the cost of kṣatriya action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya, reporting to the king, attributes a killing/defeat to ‘your father’ (Bhishma) and specifically to the power of his weapons-training. In the surrounding passage (as reflected in the Hindi gloss), this functions as part of a broader description of Bhishma’s devastating battlefield performance and the heavy casualties inflicted.