Shloka 25

भीष्मरथाभिमुख्यं — Arjuna’s advance with Śikhaṇḍin; Duḥśāsana’s interception

Devanagari script

चर्मभिक्षामरैश्षित्रै: पताकाभिक्न मारिष | छत्रै: सितैहेमदण्डैश्वामरैश्व समनन्‍तत:

Transliteration

carma-bhikṣāmaraiś citraiḥ patākābhikhnā māriṣa | chatraiḥ sitaiḥ hema-daṇḍaiś cāmaraiś ca samanantataḥ ||

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—మాన్య మహారాజా! చుట్టూ కవచఢాళాలు, విచిత్ర చామరాలు, చినిగిన పతాకాలు చెల్లాచెదురుగా పడి ఉన్నాయి; అక్కడే స్వర్ణదండాలతో కూడిన తెల్లని ఛత్రాలు, రాజచామరాలు కూడా పడి ఉన్నాయి. ఆ చెల్లిపోయిన వైభవం మీదుగా, కొత్త మేఘగుంపులవలె ఉన్న ఏనుగులు మేఘాల్లా భయంకరంగా గర్జిస్తూ అన్ని దిశలకూ పరుగెత్తుతూ కనిపించాయి.

Word by Word

• चर्म: leather (shield/skin)
• चर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• भिक्षा: alms/begging (as a noun; here text seems corrupt)
• भिक्षा: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अमरैः: by/with immortals (gods) (likely corrupt here)
• अमरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शित्रैः: variegated/marked (uncertain reading)
• शित्रैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित्र
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• पताका: banner/flag
• पताका: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पताका
• Form: Feminine, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अभिक्न: broken/struck down (uncertain; likely for 'भिन्न')
• अभिक्न: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिक्न
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• मारिष: O sir!/O venerable one!
• मारिष: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मारिष
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• छत्रैः: with umbrellas
• छत्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सितैः: white
• सितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• हेमदण्डैः: with golden staffs/handles
• हेमदण्डैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेम-दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• चामरैः: with yak-tail fans (chowries)
• चामरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चामर
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• समन्ततः: on all sides/around
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• royal insignia (patākā, chatra, cāmara)
• shields (carma)
• elephants (gaja/hastin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the fragility of worldly splendor: the very emblems of sovereignty—parasols, banners, and fly-whisks—lie scattered on the battlefield, suggesting that power and prestige collapse under the force of adharma-driven conflict and the inevitability of war’s devastation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene: shields and royal insignia are strewn everywhere, while elephants—compared to newly formed thunderclouds—rush about in all directions with terrifying roars, intensifying the sense of chaos after fierce fighting.