Shloka 12

Bhīṣma’s Fall, the Arrow-bed (śara-talpa), and the Establishment of Guard

Devanagari script

अपसय् ग्रहाश्चक्रुरलक्ष्माणं दिवाकरम्‌ | अवाक्शिराश्न भगवानुपातिष्ठत चन्द्रमा:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | apasavyaṃ grahāś cakrur alakṣmāṇaṃ divākaram | avākśirāś ca bhagavān upātiṣṭhata candramāḥ ||

Translation

ਸੰਜਯ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਗ੍ਰਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਸੂਰਜ ਦੀ ਅਪਸਵ੍ਯ (ਖੱਬੇ ਪਾਸੇ) ਪਰਿਕ੍ਰਮਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਅਸ਼ੁਭ ਲੱਛਣਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹਿਤ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ। ਅਤੇ ਭਗਵਾਨ ਚੰਦ੍ਰਮਾ ਆਪਣੇ ਦੋਵੇਂ ਸਿੰਗ ਹੇਠਾਂ ਵੱਲ ਕੀਤੇ ਹੋਏ ਉਗਿਆ।

Word by Word

• अपसव्यं: leftward / counterclockwise
• अपसव्यं: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपसव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ग्रहाः: planets (grahas)
• ग्रहाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• चक्रुः: did / made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural

• अलक्ष्माणम्: inauspicious / of ill-omen
• अलक्ष्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दिवाकरम्: the Sun
• दिवाकरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवाक्शिराः: with head bent down (having the head downward)
• अवाक्शिराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवाक्शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भगवान्: the venerable / divine
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उपातिष्ठत: stood near / appeared / rose
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-स्था (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular

• चन्द्रमाः: the Moon
• चन्द्रमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• grahāḥ (planets)
• Divākara (Sun)
• Candramā (Moon)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames war not merely as a political event but as a rupture in dharma reflected in nature: ominous celestial signs symbolize ethical disorder and warn that adharma-driven conflict brings widespread suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports portents seen in the sky: the planets take an inauspicious leftward course around the Sun, and the Moon rises with its horns turned downward—traditional indicators of impending calamity on the battlefield.