Shloka 4

भीष्मधनंजयद्वैरथम्

Bhīṣma–Dhanaṃjaya Duel and the Opening Clash

Devanagari script

ते मन: क्रूरमाधाय समभित्यक्तजीविता: । पाण्डवानभ्यवर्तन्त सर्व एवोच्छितध्वजा:,तब उन सबने मनको कठोर बनाकर प्राणोंका मोह छोड़कर ऊँची ध्वजाएँ फहराते हुए पाण्डवोंपर आक्रमण किया

Transliteration

te manaḥ krūram ādhāya samabhityaktajīvitāḥ | pāṇḍavān abhyavartanta sarva evochchhitadhvajāḥ ||

Translation

ତେବେ ସେମାନେ ସମସ୍ତେ ମନକୁ କଠୋର କରି, ଜୀବନ ପ୍ରତି ଆସକ୍ତି ତ୍ୟାଗ କରି, ଉଚ୍ଚ ଧ୍ୱଜା ଉଠାଇ ପାଣ୍ଡବମାନଙ୍କ ଉପରେ ଆକ୍ରମଣ କଲେ।

Word by Word

तेthey (those)

मनःmind

क्रूरम्cruel, hard

आधायhaving placed/assuming

समभित्यक्तजीविताःhaving completely renounced life (ready to die)

पाण्डवान्the Pandavas

अभ्यवर्तन्तthey advanced against/attacked

सर्वेall

एवindeed, just

उच्छितध्वजाःwith raised/lofty banners

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pāṇḍavas

dhvaja (battle-banner/standard)

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 the psychology of battle: warriors deliberately harden the mind and relinquish attachment to survival to act decisively. Ethically, it points to the tension between duty-driven resolve (as understood in kṣatriya warfare) and the moral cost of cultivating cruelty or hardness of heart.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the opposing warriors, with banners raised, surge forward to attack the Pāṇḍavas. Their mindset is described as grimly determined—acting as though they have already given up their lives—signaling an intense escalation in the fighting.