Shloka 10

Bhīṣma’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava-Alliance Warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, and Allied Kings)

Devanagari script

जवे प्रहारे सम्मर्दे सर्व एवातिमानुषा: । सर्वर्जिता महीपाला दिग्जये भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ! वे वेग, प्रहार और संघर्षमें अमानुषिक शक्तिसे सम्पन्न हैं। उन सबने दिग्विजयके समय बहुत-से राजाओंपर विजय पायी है

Transliteration

jave prahāre sammarde sarva evātimānuṣāḥ | sarvārjitā mahīpālā digjaye bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

بھیشم نے کہا—اے بھرتوں کے سردار! رفتار، ضرب اور معرکے کے ہجوم میں وہ سب فوق البشر قوت کے حامل ہیں۔ اے بھرتوں کے نر شیر! دِگ وجے کی مہم میں انہوں نے بہت سے بادشاہوں کو مغلوب کیا تھا۔

Word by Word

जवेin speed/haste

प्रहारेin striking/attack

सम्मर्देin crush/battle mêlée

सर्वेall

एवindeed/just

अतिमानुषाःsuperhuman

सर्वर्जिताःhaving conquered all

महीपालाःkings (protectors of the earth)

दिग्जयेin the conquest of the quarters (digvijaya)

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

भरतश्रेष्ठO best of the Bharatas

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Bharatarṣabha (addressed Bharata prince/king)

mahīpālāḥ (kings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma underscores the extraordinary martial capability and proven record of conquest of the warriors being discussed, implying that political decisions about war and peace must be made with realistic assessment of strength, consequences, and responsibility under kṣatriya-dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Bhīṣma is describing the battle-readiness and past victories of the kings/warriors—highlighting their speed, striking power, and effectiveness in close combat, and recalling their successes during digvijaya campaigns.