Shloka 25

भीष्मस्य शरवर्षः — Bhīṣma’s Arrow-Storm and Kṛṣṇa’s Impulse to Intervene

Devanagari script

रुधिरेण समुन्मिश्रमस्थिवर्ष तथैव च । रुदतां वाहनानां च नेत्रेभ्य: प्रापतज्जलम्‌

Transliteration

rudhireṇa samunmiśram asthivarṣa tathaiva ca | rudatāṁ vāhanānāṁ ca netrebhyaḥ prāpatat jalam, mahārāja |

Translation

三阇耶说道：“大王啊，血与骨交杂，如雨而下；哭泣的骏马与诸乘骑之眼中，泪水纷纷坠落。”

Word by Word

• रुधिरेण: with blood
• रुधिरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• समुन्मिश्रम्: mixed together
• समुन्मिश्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समुन्मिश्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अस्थिवर्षम्: a rain of bones
• अस्थिवर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि-वर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: thus/so
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• रुदताम्: of (those) crying
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुदत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वाहनानाम्: of the mounts/vehicles
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• नेत्रेभ्यः: from the eyes
• नेत्रेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Plural

• प्रापतत्: fell down
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• जलम्: water/tears
• जलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Mahārāja (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• vāhanāni (mounts/vehicles)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the moral warning that when conflict is driven by adharma, the world itself seems to signal catastrophe: suffering spreads beyond warriors to animals and the environment, foreshadowing the ethical cost of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports terrifying portents to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: a shower of bones mixed with blood and the tears of crying mounts—signs that immense destruction and sorrow are imminent on the battlefield.