Shloka 956

गौरुडव्यूह-रचना तथा अर्धचन्द्र-प्रत्यव्यूह

Garuḍa Array and the Ardhacandra Counter-Formation

Devanagari script

शनकैरशभ्ययाच्छवेतं गाड़ेय: प्रहसन्निव । तब दूसरे रथपर बैठकर धनुषकी टंकार करते हुए गंगानन्दन भीष्म उदास मनसे हँसते हुए-से धीरे-धीरे श्वेतकी ओर चले

Transliteration

śanakair aśabhyayāc chvetaṃ gāḍeyaḥ prahasan niva | tataḥ dvitīye rathopari niṣaṇṇaḥ dhanuṣaḥ ṭaṅkāraṃ kurvan gaṅgānandanaḥ bhīṣmaḥ udāsa-manasaḥ hasann iva śanaiḥ śanaiḥ śvetasya abhimukhaṃ yayau |

Translation

Санджая сказал: Медленно, словно с едва заметной, сдержанной улыбкой, Гангейя (Бхишма) двинулся к Швете. Затем, воссев на другую колесницу и заставив лук прозвучать звонким щелчком тетивы, сын Ганги — Бхишма — продолжил путь, с отрешённым умом, будто тихо смеясь, шаг за шагом к Швете.

Word by Word

शनकैःslowly, gradually

अशभ्ययात्from the ignoble/uncivil (one)

श्वेतम्Shveta (proper name)

गाङ्गेयःGāṅgeya (Bhīṣma, son of Gaṅgā)

प्रहसन्laughing, smiling

इवas if, like

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīṣma (Gāṅgeya, Gaṅgānandana)

Śveta

chariot (ratha)

bow (dhanuṣ)

bowstring twang (ṭaṅkāra)

Gaṅgā

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined action with inner detachment: Bhīṣma advances in battle performing his role without visible agitation, suggesting that duty (svadharma) can be carried out with composure and non-attachment to emotional turbulence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma moving slowly toward the warrior Śveta. Bhīṣma is on a chariot, twanging his bowstring as a martial signal, and appears to smile—yet his mind is described as detached—indicating calm confidence as he closes in for combat.