Shloka 9

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ७२: सैन्यगुणवर्णनम्, व्यूहरक्षा, दैव-पुरुषकारचिन्ता

Devanagari script

शीर्षे तस्याभवद्‌ वीर: सात्यकि: सत्यविक्रम: । विधुन्वन्‌ गाण्डिवं पार्थों ग्रीवायामभवत्‌ तदा,शिरोभागमें सत्यपराक्रमी वीर सात्यकि और ग्रीवाभागमें गाण्डीवधनुषकी टंकार करते हुए कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुन खड़े हुए

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

śīrṣe tasyābhavad vīraḥ sātyakiḥ satyavikramaḥ |

vidhunvan gāṇḍīvaṃ pārtho grīvāyām abhavat tadā ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Ở phần đầu của thế trận đứng Sātyaki, vị anh hùng có dũng lực chân thật. Còn nơi phần cổ, Pārtha (Arjuna) đứng đó, rung cây cung Gāṇḍīva cho vang dội—báo hiệu sự sẵn sàng và quyết tâm khi trận đồ thành hình.

Word by Word

शीर्षेon (the) head/top

तस्यof him/of that

अभवत्was/became

वीरःthe hero

सात्यकिःSatyaki

सत्यविक्रमःof true valor

विधुन्वन्shaking/brandishing

गाण्डिवम्the Gandiva (bow)

पार्थःPartha (Arjuna)

ग्रीवायाम्at/on the neck

अभवत्was/became

तदाthen/at that time

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Sātyaki

Arjuna (Pārtha)

Gāṇḍīva

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?

The verse highlights disciplined leadership in righteous conflict: capable warriors are placed where their strengths best serve the whole, and Arjuna’s sounding of Gāṇḍīva functions as a public vow of readiness—courage guided by duty rather than impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes positions within a battle array: Sātyaki stands at the ‘head’ of the formation, while Arjuna stands at its ‘neck,’ shaking the Gāṇḍīva so it resounds, marking the moment the formation is set and the warriors are poised for engagement.