Shloka 20

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः

Devanagari script

एको<स्त्रवित्‌ सखा ते&यं सो<प्यस्मान्‌ समुपेक्षते । निर्दह्ममानान्‌ भीष्मेण द्रोणेन च महात्मना

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | eko 'stravit sakhā te 'yaṃ so 'py asmān samupeksate | nirdahyamānān bhīṣmeṇa droṇena ca mahātmanā ||

Translation

సంజయుడు అన్నాడు—నీ సఖుడు అర్జునుడే ఒక్కడే దివ్యాస్త్రవిదుడు; అయినా మహాత్ములు భీష్ముడు, ద్రోణుడు మమ్మల్ని దహించుచుండగా అతడూ మమ్మల్ని ఉపేక్షిస్తున్నాడు.

Word by Word

• एकः: alone, only one
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्त्रवित्: knower of weapons (divine missiles)
• अस्त्रवित्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्रविद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सखा: friend
• सखा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: of you / your
• ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अस्मान्: us
• अस्मान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Plural

• समुपेक्षते: overlooks, disregards
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उप+ईक्ष्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• निर्दह्यमानान्: being burnt, being scorched
• निर्दह्यमानान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि: + दह्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural, शानच् (present passive participle)

• भीष्मेण: by Bhishma
• भीष्मेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• द्रोणेन: by Drona
• द्रोणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रोण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (one)
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhrtarashtra
• Arjuna
• Bhishma
• Drona

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between capability and responsibility: possessing extraordinary power (divyāstras) does not automatically translate into its use. In war, restraint, timing, and allegiance shape action; neglecting allies in crisis is portrayed as a serious moral and strategic failing from the Kaurava viewpoint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that the Kaurava side is being heavily afflicted by Bhishma and Drona, and he laments that Arjuna—Dhritarashtra’s ‘friend’ and the one famed for knowledge of divine weapons—is not intervening to protect them, effectively ‘overlooking’ their plight.