Shloka 40

Adhyāya 160: Arjuna’s Envoy-Message—Critique of Borrowed Valor and Pre-dawn Mobilization

Devanagari script

भीष्मवेगमपर्यन्तं द्रोणग्राहदुरासदम्‌ | कर्णशल्यझषावर्त काम्बोजवडवामुखम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣmavegam aparyantaṃ droṇagrāhadurāsadam | karṇaśalyajhaṣāvarta kāmbojavaḍavāmukham ||

Translation

ସେ ସେନା-ସମୁଦ୍ରର ଅପର୍ୟନ୍ତ ବେଗ ଭୀଷ୍ମ; ଦ୍ରୋଣାଚାର୍ଯ୍ୟ-ରୂପ ଗ୍ରାହ ଥିବାରୁ ତାହାରେ ପ୍ରବେଶ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦୁରାସଦ; କର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଓ ଶଲ୍ୟ ସେଠାରେ ମହାମତ୍ସ୍ୟ ଓ ଆବର୍ତ୍ତ-ଭଁବର ସମାନ; ଏବଂ କାମ୍ବୋଜରାଜ ସୁଦକ୍ଷିଣ ସେଠାରେ ବଡ଼ବାନଳ—ସମୁଦ୍ରଗର୍ଭ ଅଗ୍ନି—ସମାନ।

Word by Word

• भीष्मवेगम्: Bhishma as (its) speed/impetus
• भीष्मवेगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म-वेग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अपर्यन्तम्: endless, without limit
• अपर्यन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-पर्यन्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• द्रोणग्राहदुरासदम्: hard to approach/enter because of the Drona-crocodile
• द्रोणग्राहदुरासदम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रोण-ग्राह-दुरासद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कर्णशल्यझषावर्तम्: having Karna and Shalya as fish and whirlpool
• कर्णशल्यझषावर्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण-शल्य-झष-आवर्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• काम्बोजवडवामुखम्: having the Kamboja (king) as the submarine-fire (vadavāmukha)
• काम्बोजवडवामुखम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम्बोज-वडवामुख
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

उलूक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ulūka
• Bhīṣma
• Droṇa
• Karṇa
• Śalya
• Kāmboja
• Sudakṣiṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse illustrates how rhetoric and metaphor are used to project strength and deter an opponent: formidable leaders become natural forces (ocean, crocodile, whirlpool, submarine fire). Ethically, it highlights how war discourse often magnifies power to influence morale and decision-making, even before weapons are raised.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ulūka, speaking for the Kaurava side, describes the Kaurava host as a perilous ocean. He assigns key warriors symbolic roles—Bhīṣma as unstoppable speed, Droṇa as a deadly crocodile, Karṇa and Śalya as dangerous sea-creatures/whirlpools, and Sudakṣiṇa of Kāmboja as the hidden submarine fire—aiming to intimidate and emphasize the difficulty of confronting their army.