Shloka 27

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्

The Tumult of Battle Described

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्‌ क्षणे सात्यकि: सत्यसंध: शिनिप्रवीरो5भ्यपतत्‌ पितामहम्‌ । निष्नन्नमित्रान्‌ धनुषा दृढेन संकम्पयंस्तव पुत्रस्य सैन्यम्‌

Transliteration

tasmin kṣaṇe sātyakiḥ satyasaṃdhaḥ śinipravīro 'bhyapatat pitāmaham | niṣnann amitrān dhanuṣā dṛḍhena saṃkampayaṃs tava putrasya sainyam ||

Translation

Ngay lúc ấy, Sātyaki—người giữ trọn lời thề, dũng tướng bậc nhất của dòng Śini—lao thẳng vào Bhīṣma, bậc Tổ Phụ. Với cây cung vững chắc, chàng chém ngã quân thù, và bằng thế công ấy khiến đạo quân của con trai ngài run sợ—cho thấy giữa lửa chiến tranh, ý chí kiên định và niềm kiêu hãnh dòng tộc thúc người chiến sĩ dám thách thức cả bậc trưởng thượng đáng tôn kính nhất trên chiến địa.

Word by Word

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• क्षणे: moment
• क्षणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सात्यकिः: Sātyaki
• सात्यकिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सात्यकि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यसन्धः: true to his vow
• सत्यसन्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य-सन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शिनिप्रवीरः: foremost hero of the Śini line
• शिनिप्रवीरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिनि-प्रवीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभ्यपतत्: rushed/charged
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पितामहम्: the grandsire (Bhīṣma)
• पितामहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• निघ्नन्: slaying
• निघ्नन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अमित्रान्: enemies
• अमित्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमित्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• धनुषा: with (his) bow
• धनुषा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• दृढेन: firm/strong
• दृढेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• संकम्पयन्: shaking/causing to tremble
• संकम्पयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कम्प्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• पुत्रस्य: of (your) son
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सैन्यम्: army
• सैन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātyaki
• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)
• Śini lineage
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'tava')
• Duryodhana (implied by 'tava putrasya')
• bow (dhanuṣ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its battlefield form: unwavering commitment to one’s vow and duty can compel a warrior to confront even a revered elder like Bhīṣma. It also underscores the ethical tension of war—reverence does not remove the obligation to fight when one has taken a side in a righteous conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Sātyaki, a leading Śini warrior allied with the Pāṇḍavas, suddenly charges Bhīṣma. As he advances, he slays enemy fighters with his strong bow and shakes the Kaurava army (Duryodhana’s forces) by the force of his attack.