Shloka 3

Devanagari script

कन्याश्रन्दनचूर्णैश्न लाजैममाल्यैश्व सर्वश: । अवाकिर|ज्छान्तनवं तत्र गत्वा सहस्रश:,सहस्रों कन्याएँ वहाँ जाकर चन्दन-चूर्ण, लाजा (खील) और माला-फ़ूल आदि सब प्रकारकी शुभ सामग्री शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्मके ऊपर बिखेरने लगीं

Transliteration

kanyāś candanacūrṇaiś ca lājair mālyaiś ca sarvaśaḥ | avākiran śāntanavaṃ tatra gatvā sahasraśaḥ ||

Translation

कन्याः चन्दनचूर्णैश्च लाजैर्माल्यैश्च सर्वशः। अवाकिरञ्छान्तनवं तत्र गत्वा सहस्रशः॥

Word by Word

कन्याःmaidens, girls

चन्दनचूर्णैःwith sandalwood-powders

लाजैःwith parched grains (lājā)

माल्यैःwith garlands/flowers

चand

सर्वशःin every way; all around

अवाकिरन्they scattered, showered

शान्तनवम्the son of Śāntanu (Bhīṣma)

तत्रthere

गत्वाhaving gone

सहस्रशःby thousands; in thousands

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīṣma (Śāntanava, Śāntanunandana)

maidens (kanyāḥ)

sandalwood powder (candana-cūrṇa)

lājā (parched grains/khīl)

garlands/flowers (mālya)

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 the cultural-ethical practice of honoring a revered elder and exemplar (Bhīṣma) through auspicious offerings, suggesting that respect and ritual propriety can persist even in the morally fraught setting of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that thousands of maidens arrive and ceremonially shower Bhīṣma—Śāntanu’s son—with sandalwood powder, parched grains, garlands, and flowers, publicly venerating him.