Shloka 266

भीष्मस्य अप्रतिमपराक्रमः — शिखण्डिपुरस्कृतः प्रहारः

Bhīṣma’s unmatched momentum and the assault with Śikhaṇḍin in the lead

Devanagari script

अभ्यद्रवन्त संग्रामे तव पुत्रान्‌ महारथा: । इसी प्रकार शूरवीर महारथी पाण्डवोंने युद्धमें गंगानन्दन भीष्मके रथकी ओर खड़े हुए आपके पुत्रोंपर आक्रमण किया

Transliteration

abhydravanta saṅgrāme tava putrān mahārathāḥ |

Translation

Санджая сказал: В разгар сражения великие колесничие ринулись прямо на твоих сыновей. Так героические махаратхи Пандавов, стоявшие близ колесницы Бхишмы — сына Ганги, — обрушились на твоих сыновей решительным натиском.

Word by Word

• अभ्यद्रवन्त: rushed/charged towards
• अभ्यद्रवन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+द्रु (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), 3, plural, परस्मैपदम्

• संग्रामे: in the battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• तव: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: genitive, singular

• पुत्रान्: sons
• पुत्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• महारथाः: great chariot-warriors
• महारथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kauravas (Dhṛtarāṣṭra's sons)
• Pāṇḍavas
• Bhīṣma
• Gaṅgā
• battlefield (Kurukṣetra context)
• chariot (ratha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma in its stark form: when war is joined, elite warriors act decisively, and choices made earlier (adharma leading to war) culminate in unavoidable consequences on the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the mahārathas rush to attack Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons; in the described scene, the Pāṇḍava heroes, positioned near Bhīṣma’s chariot, launch an assault against the Kaurava forces.