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Shloka 84

भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal

मुक्तकेशा विकवचा विरथाश्कछिन्नकार्मुका: । बाहुभि: समयुध्यन्त समवेता: परस्परम्‌,कवच, रथ और धनुषके नष्ट हो जानेपर बाल बिखेरे हुए बहुतेरे योद्धा परस्पर भिड़कर भुजाओंद्वारा मल्लयुद्ध करने लगे

muktakeśā vikavacā virathāś chinnakārmukāḥ | bāhubhiḥ samayudhyanta samavetāḥ parasparam ||

เมื่อผมเผ้าปล่อยสยาย เกราะหลุดหาย รถศึกสูญสิ้น และคันธนูหักพัง นักรบจำนวนมากก็กรูกันเข้าประจันหน้า ต่อสู้ประชิดด้วยกำลังแขนดุจมวยปล้ำ

मुक्तकेशाःhaving loosened/dishevelled hair
मुक्तकेशाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमुक्तकेश
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
विकवचाःwithout armour / with armour lost
विकवचाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootविकवच
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
विरथाःwithout chariots / dismounted
विरथाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootविरथ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
छिन्नकार्मुकाःwhose bows are cut/broken
छिन्नकार्मुकाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootछिन्नकार्मुक
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
बाहुभिःwith (their) arms
बाहुभिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootबाहु
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
समयुध्यन्तthey fought
समयुध्यन्त:
TypeVerb
Rootयुध्
FormImperfect (Lan), Third, Plural, Atmanepada
समवेताःassembled / gathered together
समवेताः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसमवेत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
परस्परम्mutually / with one another
परस्परम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपरस्पर

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
W
warriors (yoddhāḥ)
A
armour (kavaca)
C
chariot (ratha)
B
bow (kārmuka)
A
arms (bāhu)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights the dehumanizing escalation of war: when weapons, armour, and chariots are lost, combat persists through sheer bodily force. It implicitly warns that once violence is unleashed, it tends to continue beyond controlled forms, testing dharmic restraint and exposing human fragility.

Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment where numerous fighters, having lost armour, chariots, and bows, rush together and begin wrestling and striking with their arms—close-quarters combat amid the press of troops.