Shloka 9

Devanagari script

येषामज्ञातकल्पानि नामगोत्राणि पार्थिव । ते हतास्तत्र भीष्मेण शूरा: सर्वेडनिवर्तिन:,भूपाल! जिनके नाम और गोत्र प्राय: अज्ञात थे तथा जो सभी युद्धमें कभी पीठ नहीं दिखाते थे, वे शूरवीर वहाँ भीष्मके हाथों मारे गये

Transliteration

yeṣām ajñāta-kalpāni nāma-gotrāṇi pārthiva | te hatās tatra bhīṣmeṇa śūrāḥ sarve 'n-ivartinaḥ ||

Translation

భూపాలా! పేర్లు, గోత్రాలు దాదాపు తెలియనివారై, యుద్ధంలో ఎప్పుడూ వెనుదిరగని ఆ వీరులందరూ అక్కడ భీష్ముని చేతిలో హతులయ్యారు.

Word by Word

येषाम्of whom/whose

अज्ञातकल्पानिas if unknown / virtually unknown

नामnames

गोत्राणिlineages/clans

पार्थिवO king

तेthey/those (men)

हताःkilled/slain

तत्रthere

भीष्मेणby Bhishma

शूराःheroes/valiant men

सर्वेall

अनिवर्तिनःnot turning back / never retreating

भूपालO protector of the earth (O king)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīṣma

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by vocative pārthiva/bhūpāla)

Unnamed warriors (with unknown names and gotras)

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 harsh impartiality of war: even brave, duty-bound fighters who never retreat—whether famous or anonymous—meet the same mortal end. It also underscores the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness (anivartitva) while reminding that valor does not guarantee remembrance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that Bhīṣma, leading the Kaurava forces, is cutting down many opposing warriors on the battlefield—so many that some are described as having names and lineages scarcely known, yet they are portrayed as resolute heroes who do not turn back.