Shloka 8

Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)

Devanagari script

अकरोद्‌ दुष्करं कर्म रणे पाण्डुसुतेषु यः । ग्रसमानमनीकानि य एन॑ पर्यवारयन्‌

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | akarod duṣkaraṃ karma raṇe pāṇḍusuteṣu yaḥ | grasamānam anīkāni ya enaṃ paryavārayan |

Translation

ਧ੍ਰਿਤਰਾਸ਼ਟਰ ਬੋਲੇ—ਜੋ ਪਾਂਡੁ-ਪੁੱਤਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਵਿਰੁੱਧ ਰਣ ਵਿੱਚ ਦੁਰਲਭ ਕਰਤੱਬ ਕਰ ਰਿਹਾ ਸੀ ਅਤੇ ਅੱਗੇ ਵਧਦਿਆਂ ਵਧਦਿਆਂ ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਵ੍ਯੂਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਲਗਾਤਾਰ ਗ੍ਰਸ ਰਿਹਾ ਸੀ, ਉਸ ਅਜੈ ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਸ ਨੇ ਰੋਕਿਆ? ਸੰਜਯ, ਤੂੰ ਤਾਂ ਉਸਦੇ ਨੇੜੇ ਸੀ—ਦੱਸ, ਪਾਂਡਵਾਂ ਨੇ ਸ਼ਾਂਤਨੁ-ਨੰਦਨ ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਗੇ ਵਧਣ ਤੋਂ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਰੋਕਿਆ?

Word by Word

• अकरोत्: did, performed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (करणे)
• Form: Luṅ (Aorist), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दुष्करम्: difficult (to do)
• दुष्करम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्कर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कर्म: deed, act
• कर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• पाण्डु-सुतेषु: among/against the sons of Pāṇḍu (Pāṇḍavas)
• पाण्डु-सुतेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुसुत
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ग्रसमानम्: devouring, consuming
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रस् (भक्षणे)
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनीकानि: armies, divisions
• अनीकानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पर्यवारयन्: they restrained, checked, held back
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + अव + वृ (वरणे/आवरणे)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Pāṇḍavas
• Pāṇḍu
• Śāntanu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension between individual martial prowess and collective restraint in war: even an invincible hero can be checked by coordinated effort, reminding readers that power in battle is shaped by strategy, duty, and the larger moral-political order (kṣatriya-dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing of Bhīṣma’s fierce advance and destruction of opposing ranks, asks Sañjaya to identify who managed to stop or contain Bhīṣma and by what means the Pāṇḍavas prevented him from continuing to press forward.