Shloka 50

Rajo-dhūli-saṃmūḍha-saṅgrāmaḥ

The Dust-Obscured Battle and Mutual Charges

Devanagari script

ततो भीष्म: शान्तनवो नित्यं मण्डलकार्मुक:ः । मुमोच बाणान्‌ दीप्ताग्रानहीनाशीविषानिव

Transliteration

tato bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavo nityaṁ maṇḍalakārmukaḥ | mumoca bāṇān dīptāgrān ahīn āśīviṣān iva ||

Translation

تب شانتنو کے فرزند بھیشم، جو ہمیشہ کمان کو دائرہ وار کھینچنے میں ماہر تھے، زہریلے سانپوں کی مانند دہکتے نوک والے ہولناک تیر بلا توقف چھوڑنے لگے۔

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

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

• शान्तनवः: son of Shantanu
• शान्तनवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्तनव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नित्यम्: constantly, always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• मण्डलकार्मुकः: having a circular-bent bow / making the bow into a circle
• मण्डलकार्मुकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मण्डल-कार्मुक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मुमोच: released, let go (shot)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• बाणान्: arrows
• बाणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दीप्ताग्रान्: having blazing tips
• दीप्ताग्रान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त-अग्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अहीन: not deficient, unbroken (i.e., fully effective)
• अहीन: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहीन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• आशीविषान्: venomous serpents
• आशीविषान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आशीविष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Śāntanu
• bow (kārmuka)
• arrows (bāṇa)
• venomous serpents (āśīviṣa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the awe-inspiring power of disciplined skill in warfare, while implicitly reminding the reader that such mastery, when deployed in a fratricidal war, intensifies the tragedy of adharma-driven conflict; prowess is ethically weighty because its effects are immense.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma on the battlefield continuously releasing blazing, deadly arrows, compared to venomous serpents, indicating a sustained and overwhelming assault against the opposing forces.