Shloka 4

भीष्मधनंजयद्वैरथम्

Bhīṣma–Dhanaṃjaya Duel and the Opening Clash

Devanagari script

ते मन: क्रूरमाधाय समभित्यक्तजीविता: । पाण्डवानभ्यवर्तन्त सर्व एवोच्छितध्वजा:,तब उन सबने मनको कठोर बनाकर प्राणोंका मोह छोड़कर ऊँची ध्वजाएँ फहराते हुए पाण्डवोंपर आक्रमण किया

Transliteration

te manaḥ krūram ādhāya samabhityaktajīvitāḥ | pāṇḍavān abhyavartanta sarva evochchhitadhvajāḥ ||

Translation

Санджая сказал: Ожесточив сердца и отбросив привязанность к жизни, все они двинулись на Пандавов, высоко подняв свои знамёна.

Word by Word

• ते: they (those)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• क्रूरम्: cruel, hard
• क्रूरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आधाय: having placed/assuming
• आधाय: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-धा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• समभित्यक्तजीविताः: having completely renounced life (ready to die)
• समभित्यक्तजीविताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-अभि-त्यज् + जीवित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle) + compound with जीवित

• पाण्डवान्: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अभ्यवर्तन्त: they advanced against/attacked
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√वृत्
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), Ātmanepada, Third, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• उच्छितध्वजाः: with raised/lofty banners
• उच्छितध्वजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छित + ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍavas
• dhvaja (battle-banner/standard)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the psychology of battle: warriors deliberately harden the mind and relinquish attachment to survival to act decisively. Ethically, it points to the tension between duty-driven resolve (as understood in kṣatriya warfare) and the moral cost of cultivating cruelty or hardness of heart.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the opposing warriors, with banners raised, surge forward to attack the Pāṇḍavas. Their mindset is described as grimly determined—acting as though they have already given up their lives—signaling an intense escalation in the fighting.