Shloka 30

Adhyāya 111 (Book 6): Daśama-dina-saṃgrāma—Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira and the Śikhaṇḍin-Led Advance

Devanagari script

अभ्यवर्षत दुर्धर्षस्त्यक्त्वा जीवितमात्मन: । वे महाधनुर्धर दुर्धर्ष वीर भीष्म अपने जीवनका मोह छोड़कर पाण्डवों

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | abhyavarṣata durdharṣas tyaktvā jīvitam ātmanaḥ | sa pāṇḍavānāṃ pravarān pañca rājan mahārathān |

Translation

三阇耶说道：不可征服的毗湿摩抛却对自身性命的一切执著，遂以凶猛如暴雨的箭矢倾泻于般度族、旁遮罗与施林阇耶诸军——那罗迦箭、犊牙箭、合掌箭等诸般利矢。继而，哦大王，他又将攻势转向般度族中最卓绝的五位大车战士。

Word by Word

• अभ्यवर्षत्: rained upon, showered
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष् (वर्षणे)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, 3, singular

• दुर्धर्षः: the unassailable one
• दुर्धर्षः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्धर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• जीवितम्: life
• जीवितम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• आत्मनः: of himself
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pāṇḍavas
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, genitive, plural

• प्रवरान्: the foremost
• प्रवरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• पञ्च: five
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• महारथान्: great chariot-warriors
• महारथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Pāṇḍavas
• Pāñcālas
• Śṛñjayas
• nārāca (arrow type)
• vatsadanta (arrow type)
• añjalika (arrow type)
• mahāratha (class of warrior)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a warrior-ethic of resolute duty: Bhīṣma fights with unwavering commitment, setting aside personal attachment to life. It frames detachment (tyāga of self-preservation) as a component of kṣatriya-dharma in the battlefield context, even when the action is violent and morally weighty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Bhīṣma unleashes an intense barrage of specialized arrows upon the Pāṇḍava alliance (Pāṇḍavas, Pāñcālas, Śṛñjayas). The narration then transitions to Bhīṣma focusing on the five foremost Pāṇḍava great chariot-warriors.