Shloka 9

Adhyāya 107 — बहुयुद्धप्रकरणम्

Multiple Defensive Engagements to Protect Bhīṣma

Devanagari script

तद्‌ बल प्रद्गुतं दृष्ट॒वा पुत्रो दुर्योधनस्तव । पुरस्कृत्य रणे भीष्म सर्वसैन्यपुरस्कृत:

Transliteration

tad bala-pradrutam dṛṣṭvā putro duryodhanas tava | puraskṛtya raṇe bhīṣmaṁ sarva-sainya-puraskṛtaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya disse: Vendo aquele exército em desordem e em fuga, teu filho Duryodhana—pondo Bhīṣma à frente na batalha e avançando com toda a hoste—investiu com grande esforço contra Dhanañjaya (Arjuna). Ó senhor dos homens, o objetivo desse assalto era proteger a vida do rei dos Trigartas.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बलम्: army/force
• बलम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रद्रुतम्: fleeing, routed
• Type: Participle
• Root: प्र-द्रु (धातु)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दुर्योधनः: Duryodhana
• दुर्योधनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्योधन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• पुरस्कृत्य: having placed in front, having put forward
• Type: Verb
• Root: पुरस्-कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप् (absolutive), form: पुरस्कृत्य

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

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

• सर्वसैन्यपुरस्कृतः: accompanied/attended by the whole army (with all forces in front/around)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-सैन्य-पुरस्कृत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duryodhana
• Bhīṣma
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• Trigarta-rāja (Susarman)
• Kaurava army

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield dharma as understood by warriors: leadership is shown by rallying a routed force, placing an experienced commander (Bhīṣma) at the front, and acting to protect an ally’s life—yet it also implicitly shows how strategic necessity can drive aggressive action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, seeing his troops in flight, Duryodhana reorganizes the Kaurava host with Bhīṣma leading and launches a determined assault on Arjuna, chiefly to save the Trigarta king (Susarman) from danger.