Shloka 25

Devanagari script

त॑ क्षत्रिया महाराज ददृशुर्घोरमाहवे । भीष्मं दहन्तं सैन्यानि पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम्‌,महाराज! उस युद्धस्थलमें समस्त क्षत्रियोंने देखा, भयंकर रूपधारी भीष्म महामना पाण्डवोंकी सेनाओंको दग्ध कर रहे थे

Transliteration

taṁ kṣatriyā mahārāja dadṛśur ghoram āhave | bhīṣmaṁ dahantaṁ sainyāni pāṇḍavānāṁ mahātmanām ||

Translation

Sañjaya thưa: Tâu Đại vương, trong trận chiến khủng khiếp ấy, các kṣatriya đều trông thấy Bhīṣma—vẻ chiến trận đáng sợ—đang thiêu rụi các đạo quân của những Pāṇḍava đại hồn. Cảnh ấy cho thấy: nơi chiến tranh, ngay cả bậc đáng kính và giữ trọn bổn phận cũng có thể trở thành khí cụ của sự tàn phá áp đảo khi đã gắn mình với phe và lời thệ nguyện đã chọn.

Word by Word

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• क्षत्रियाः: Kshatriyas, warriors
• क्षत्रियाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ददृशुः: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• घोरम्: terrible, dreadful
• घोरम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भीष्मम्: Bhishma
• भीष्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दहन्तम्: burning, scorching
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह्
• Form: Present active participle (Śatṛ), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सैन्यानि: armies, troops
• सैन्यानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pandavas
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled (ones)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhīṣma
• Pāṇḍavas
• Kṣatriyas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension within dharma during war: a revered elder like Bhīṣma, acting from kṣatriya-duty and loyalty to his side, becomes a fearsome force of destruction. It invites reflection on how duty, vows, and allegiance can lead to ethically tragic outcomes even for the noble.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warriors on the battlefield witnessed Bhīṣma in a terrifying combat mode, cutting down and ‘burning’ (i.e., devastating) the forces of the Pāṇḍavas.