Shloka 12

भीष्मवधाय प्रयाणम् — The Advance toward Bhīṣma and Counter-Engagements

Devanagari script

तथेतरांस्तव सुतांस्ताडयामास भारत | शरैर्बहुविधै: संख्ये रुक्मपुड्खै: सुतेजनै:,भारत! इसी प्रकार रणभूमिमें सोनेकी पाँखवाले अत्यन्त तीखे और बहुसंख्यक बाणोंद्वारा उन्होंने आपके अन्य पुत्रोंको भी पीड़ित किया

Transliteration

tathetarāṁs tava sutāṁs tāḍayāmāsa bhārata | śarair bahuvidhaiḥ saṅkhye rukmapuṅkhaiḥ sutejanaiḥ ||

Translation

సంజయుడు పలికెను—ఓ భారతా! అలాగే యుద్ధరంగంలో అతడు బంగారు పింఛాలతో కూడిన, అత్యంత పదునైన, నానావిధమైన అనేక బాణాలతో నీ ఇతర కుమారులను కూడా గాయపరచి బాధింపజేసెను।

Word by Word

तथाthus, in the same way

इतरान्other

तवof you, your

सुतान्sons

ताडयामासstruck, smote, afflicted

भारतO Bharata

शरैःwith arrows

बहुविधैःof many kinds, various

संख्येin battle

रुक्मपुङ्खैःwith golden-feathered (arrows)

सुतेजनैःwith very sharp/bright (arrows)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Dhritarashtra (implied by address 'Bhārata')

Kaurava princes (tava sutāḥ)

arrows (śara)

battlefield/battle (saṅkhya)

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 underscores the epic’s war-ethic: in saṅkhya (open battle), a warrior’s prowess manifests through disciplined, effective force. It also highlights the moral weight of conflict—Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons face the tangible consequences of the war they are entangled in.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warrior being described continues his assault, now wounding and pressuring the other Kaurava princes with numerous, extremely sharp, gold-feathered arrows amid the battle.