Shloka 48

Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)

Devanagari script

तमिन्द्रसमकर्माणं ककुदं सर्वधन्विनाम्‌ । हतं शंससि मे भीष्म कि नु दुःखमत: परम्‌

Transliteration

tam indrasama-karmāṇaṁ kakudaṁ sarva-dhanvinām | hataṁ śaṁsasi me bhīṣma ki nu duḥkham ataḥ param ||

Translation

ଯାହାଙ୍କ କର୍ମ ଇନ୍ଦ୍ରସମ, ଯିଏ ସମସ୍ତ ଧନୁର୍ଧରଙ୍କ ଶିଖର—ସେଇ ଭୀଷ୍ମ ହତ ହୋଇଛନ୍ତି ବୋଲି ତୁମେ ମୋତେ କହୁଛ; ଏହାଠାରୁ ବଡ଼ ଦୁଃଖ ଆଉ କ’ଣ?

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इन्द्रसमकर्माणम्: whose deeds are equal to Indra’s / Indra-like in action
• इन्द्रसमकर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्द्र-सम-कर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ककुदम्: the chief, the foremost (lit. hump/peak)
• ककुदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ककुद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वधन्विनाम्: of all archers
• सर्वधन्विनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-धन्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• हतम्: slain
• हतम्: Karma
• Type: Participle
• Root: हन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• शंससि: you declare/tell
• शंससि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• भीष्म: O Bhishma
• भीष्म: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• नु: indeed/then (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• दुःखम्: sorrow, grief
• दुःखम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अतः: than this; from this
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः

• परम्: greater, beyond
• परम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhīṣma
• Indra
• Ambā
• Paraśurāma
• Jamadagni

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the devastating moral weight of war: when even the greatest exemplars of valor and dharma (Bhīṣma) can fall, grief and disorientation arise, revealing the fragility of worldly power and the inexorable force of destiny (kāla) within the dharmic crisis of Kurukṣetra.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra reacts to Sañjaya’s report that Bhīṣma has been struck down. He expresses disbelief and anguish, recalling Bhīṣma’s earlier triumph over Paraśurāma in the context of Ambā, to emphasize how extraordinary it seems that such a peerless warrior could be slain.