Shloka 1

Devanagari script

संजयने कहा--भारत! जब रात बीती और प्रभात हुआ, तब शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्मने अपनी सेनाओंको युद्धभूमिमें चलनेका आदेश दिया

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca—bhārata! yadā rātriḥ vyatītā prabhātaṃ ca jātaṃ, tadā śāntanunandanaḥ bhīṣmaḥ svāḥ senāḥ yuddhabhūmau prasthātum ājñāpayām āsa.

Translation

สัญชัยกล่าวว่า “โอ ภารตะ ครั้นราตรีล่วงไปและรุ่งอรุณมาถึง ภีษมะโอรสแห่งศานตนุจึงมีบัญชาให้กองทัพของตนเคลื่อนสู่สนามรบ”

Word by Word

• संजय: O Sanjaya
• संजय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भारत: O Bharata
• भारत: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• रात्रिः: night
• रात्रिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यतीता: having passed
• व्यतीता: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+अि (इ) + त (क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रभातम्: dawn
• प्रभातम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभात
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: became/occurred
• अभवत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• शान्तनुनन्दनः: son of Shantanu
• शान्तनुनन्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्तनु-नन्दन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वाम्: his own
• स्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सेनाम्: army
• सेनाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• युद्धभूमौ: on the battlefield
• युद्धभूमौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध-भूमि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• प्रचोदयामास: urged/ordered
• प्रचोदयामास: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+चुद्
• Form: Perfect (periphrastic), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Bharata (address to Dhritarashtra / Kuru lineage)
• Bhishma
• Shantanu
• battlefield (yuddhabhūmi)
• armies (senāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical burden of command: once the moment arrives, a leader bound by duty and allegiance must act decisively, even when the action leads into war.

What is happening in the narrative?

At daybreak, Bhishma—identified by his lineage as Shantanu’s son—orders the Kaurava forces to move onto the battlefield, signaling the transition from preparation to active engagement.