Shloka 15

वृत्ति-सत्सङ्ग-दान-धर्म

Livelihood, Virtuous Association, and Ethics of Giving

Devanagari script

बहुरूपधरा हृष्टा नानाप्रहरणोद्यता: । देवस्यानुचरास्तत्र तस्थिरे चानलोपमा:

Transliteration

bahurūpadharā hṛṣṭā nānāpraharaṇodyatāḥ | devasyānucarās tatra tasthire cānalopamāḥ ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—అక్కడ దేవుని అనుచరులు అనేక రూపాలు ధరించి, హర్షంతో, నానావిధ ఆయుధాలతో సిద్ధంగా, అగ్నివలె జ్వలిస్తూ నిలిచియుండిరి.

Word by Word

बहुरूपधराbearing many forms

हृष्टाःdelighted, exhilarated

नानाvarious, diverse

प्रहरणwith weapons

उद्यताःready, raised (prepared)

देवस्यof the god

अनुचराःattendants, followers

तत्रthere

तस्थिरेstood, remained

चand

अनलोपमाःlike fire, fire-like

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

deva (the Lord/god)

anucarāḥ (divine attendants/retinue)

nānā-praharaṇāni (various weapons)

anala (fire, as a simile)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how divine order is upheld by disciplined forces: the Lord’s attendants are joyful yet vigilant, suggesting that righteous power combines inner clarity (hṛṣṭa) with preparedness (udyata) to protect dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a scene where the deity’s attendants appear in many forms, armed with varied weapons, and stand in position with a fiery radiance—indicating a formidable divine presence gathered and ready to act.