Shloka 5

भीमसेन-दुर्योधन-प्रहारः तथा घटोत्कचमायाप्रादुर्भावः | Bhīmasena–Duryodhana Clash and the Manifestation of Ghaṭotkaca’s Māyā

Devanagari script

भीष्म: कृत्वा महाव्यूहं पिता तव विशाम्पते । सागरप्रतिमं घोरं वाहनोर्मितरज्धिणम्‌

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | bhīṣmaḥ kṛtvā mahāvyūhaṃ pitā tava viśāmpate | sāgarapratimaṃ ghoraṃ vāhanormitarajdhīṇam ||

Translation

ପ୍ରଜାନାଥ! ଆପଣଙ୍କ ପିତୃବ୍ୟ ଭୀଷ୍ମ ସମୁଦ୍ରସଦୃଶ ବିଶାଳ ଓ ଭୟଙ୍କର ମହାବ୍ୟୂହ ରଚିଲେ; ତାହାରେ ହାତୀ-ଘୋଡ଼ା ଆଦି ବାହନସେନା ଉତ୍ତାଳ ତରଙ୍ଗ ପରି ଉଠି ଗର୍ଜି ଆଗେଇ ଆସୁଥିବା ପରି ଲାଗୁଥିଲା।

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having made/formed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• महाव्यूहम्: a great battle-formation
• महाव्यूहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाव्यूह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पिता: father/elder (as an honorific)
• पिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सागरप्रतिमम्: ocean-like
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागरप्रतिम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• घोरम्: terrible, fearsome
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वाहन-ऊर्मि-तरङ्गिणम्: having vehicles as its wave-crests (i.e., with mounts like surging waves)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाहनऊर्मितरङ्गिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रजानाथ: O lord of subjects
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजानाथ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Bhishma
• Dhritarashtra
• Mahavyuha (battle formation)
• Ocean (simile)
• War-mounts (elephants, horses)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of leadership in war: a commander’s strategic skill can create overwhelming force, yet such power intensifies the dread and responsibility borne by those who deploy it within the bounds of kshatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Bhishma has arranged the Kaurava forces into a massive, terrifying formation, compared to an ocean whose waves appear as the surging lines of war-mounts like elephants and horses.