Shloka 34

भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः

Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed

Devanagari script

नकुलं तु रणे क्रुद्धो विकर्ण: शत्रुतापन: । विव्याध सायकै: षष्ट्या रक्षन्‌ भीष्मं महाबलम्‌

Transliteration

nakulaṃ tu raṇe kruddho vikarṇaḥ śatrutāpanaḥ | vivyādha sāyakaiḥ ṣaṣṭyā rakṣan bhīṣmaṃ mahābalam ||

Translation

ਦੂਜੇ ਪਾਸੇ ਰਣਭੂਮੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਕ੍ਰੋਧਿਤ ਸ਼ਤ੍ਰੁ-ਤਾਪਨ ਵਿਕਰਣ ਨੇ ਮਹਾਬਲੀ ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਦੀ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਨਕੁਲ ਨੂੰ ਸੱਠ ਬਾਣਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਵਿੰਨ੍ਹ ਦਿੱਤਾ।

Word by Word

• नकुलम्: Nakula
• नकुलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नकुल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• क्रुद्धः: angry
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुध्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past participle (क्त)

• विकर्णः: Vikarna
• विकर्णः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शत्रुतापनः: scorcher of enemies
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत्रुतापन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विव्याध: pierced/wounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• षष्ट्या: with sixty (i.e., by a set of sixty)
• षष्ट्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• रक्षन्: protecting
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Present active participle (शतृ)

• भीष्मम्: Bhishma
• भीष्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाबलम्: mighty/very strong
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Nakula
• Vikarṇa
• Bhīṣma
• arrows (sāyaka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a battlefield form of dharma: steadfast loyalty and protective duty toward one’s leader (here, Bhīṣma). It also implicitly raises the ethical tension that duty-driven allegiance can require harming others in war.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the battle, Vikarṇa, fighting in anger and intent on shielding Bhīṣma, shoots Nakula with sixty arrows, wounding him.