Shloka 24

Devanagari script

उष्णातों हि नरो यद्वधज्जलधारा: प्रतीच्छति । तथा जग्राह गाड़ेय: शरधारा: शिखण्डिन:,जैसे गर्मीसे कष्ट पानेवाला मनुष्य अपने ऊपर जलकी धारा ग्रहण करता है, उसी प्रकार गंगानन्दन भीष्म शिखण्डीकी बाणधाराको ग्रहण कर रहे थे

Transliteration

uṣṇārto hi naro yadvat jaladhārāḥ pratīcchati | tathā jagrāha gāṅgeyaḥ śaradhārāḥ śikhaṇḍinaḥ ||

Translation

جیسے گرمی سے ستایا ہوا آدمی اپنے اوپر پانی کی دھاریں خوشی سے قبول کرتا ہے، ویسے ہی گنگا کے فرزند بھیشم نے شکھنڈی کی تیروں کی بارش اپنے جسم پر لے لی۔

Word by Word

• उष्णातः: from heat
• उष्णातः: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यत्: when/that which
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• वधत्: afflicting/tormenting
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जलधाराः: streams of water
• जलधाराः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलधारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रतीच्छति: accepts/receives
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-इष् (धातु) / प्रतीच्छ् (धातु-रूपेण)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तथा: so/thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• जग्राह: took/received
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गाङ्गेयः: the son of Ganga (Bhishma)
• गाङ्गेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाङ्गेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरधाराः: streams of arrows
• शरधाराः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरधारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• शिखण्डिनः: of Shikhandin
• शिखण्डिनः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखण्डिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma (Gāṅgeya, son of Gaṅgā)
• Śikhaṇḍin
• arrows (śara)
• streams/showers (dhārā)
• water (jala)
• Gaṅgā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches steadfast endurance aligned with one’s chosen dharma: Bhīṣma does not merely suffer passively but consciously accepts what must be borne, maintaining restraint and composure even amid pain and danger.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma on the battlefield being struck by Śikhaṇḍin’s continuous volleys of arrows. The comparison to a heat-stricken man welcoming water emphasizes the intensity of the arrow-shower and Bhīṣma’s unflinching acceptance of it.