Shloka 50

Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

तस्य तत्‌ सुमहद्‌ रूप॑ दृष्टवा सर्वे महारथा:

Transliteration

tasya tat sumahad rūpaṃ dṛṣṭvā sarve mahārathāḥ

Translation

سنجے نے کہا—اُس کے اُس نہایت وسیع اور ہیبت ناک روپ کو دیکھ کر سب کے سب مہارَتھی حیرت اور خوف میں ڈوب گئے؛ گویا ایک لمحے کو میدانِ جنگ کا معمول کا اعتماد ٹھہر گیا اور انہیں انسانی قوت سے ماورا ایک طاقت کا سامنا کرنا پڑا۔

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/its
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• रूपम्: form/appearance
• रूपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (Purvakala)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महारथाः: great chariot-warriors
• महारथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• mahārathāḥ (great chariot-warriors)
• rūpa (the great form)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the mightiest warriors are humbled when confronted with a reality greater than human strength; true discernment in war requires recognizing limits of ego and power, and responding with restraint and moral clarity rather than mere bravado.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that all the foremost fighters, upon seeing an extraordinarily immense form associated with him (the referenced figure in context), react collectively—signaling a turning point where the battlefield is overshadowed by a display that inspires awe and fear.