Shloka 31

Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)

Devanagari script

हयान्‌ गजपदातींश्व रथांश्न तरसा बहून्‌ निमज्जयन्तं समरे परवीरापहारिणम्‌

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | hayān gajapadātīṁś ca rathāṁś ca tarasā bahūn nimajjayantaṁ samare paravīrāpahāriṇam |

Translation

ధృతరాష్ట్రుడు అన్నాడు—యుద్ధభూమిలో నేను భీష్ముణ్ణి చూస్తున్నాను; అప్రతిహత వేగంతో శత్రుపక్షపు అశ్వాలు, గజాలు, పదాతులు, అనేక రథాలను అతడు నిమజ్జింపజేస్తున్నాడు; సమరంలో పరవీరుల ప్రాణాలను అపహరించేవాడు అతడే।

Word by Word

• हयान्: horses
• हयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• गज: elephants
• गज: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पदातीन्: foot-soldiers
• पदातीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदाति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• रथान्: chariots
• रथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तरसा: with speed/force
• तरसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• निमज्जयन्तम्: causing to sink; submerging
• Type: Verb
• Root: निमज्जय् (causative of √मज्ज्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle, causative)

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• परवीर: of enemy heroes
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + वीर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अपहारिणम्: snatching away; taking away (life)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपहारिन् (from अप + √हृ)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, णिनि (agent-noun/adjectival)

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhīṣma
• enemy warriors (para-vīra)
• horses
• elephants
• infantry
• chariots
• battlefield (samara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical gravity of righteous warfare: a warrior’s excellence (vīrya) operates within kṣatriya-dharma, yet it necessarily entails the taking of life. It invites reflection on duty, consequence, and the tragic cost of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra is being informed/visualizing the battle and describes Bhīṣma’s ferocity: he is rapidly crushing the enemy’s forces—horses, elephants, infantry, and chariots—like drowning them in a sea of combat, and he is killing opposing heroes.