Shloka 37

भीष्मस्य अप्रतिमपराक्रमः — शिखण्डिपुरस्कृतः प्रहारः

Bhīṣma’s unmatched momentum and the assault with Śikhaṇḍin in the lead

Devanagari script

दुःशासनं ततः क्रुद्ध पीडयामास पाण्डव: । पर्वणीय सुसंक्रुद्धो राहु: पूर्ण निशाकरम्‌

Transliteration

duḥśāsanaṃ tataḥ kruddhaḥ pīḍayāmāsa pāṇḍavaḥ | parvaṇīyaḥ susaṃkruddho rāhuḥ pūrṇa-niśākaram ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：随后，那般度族勇士怒火炽盛，开始逼迫杜沙萨那——正如满月之夜暴怒的罗睺侵凌圆满的月轮，使之受苦。

Word by Word

• दुःशासनम्: Duhshasana (as object)
• दुःशासनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःशासन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• क्रुद्धः: angry
• क्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पीडयामास: tormented/afflicted
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड्
• Form: Periphrastic Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पाण्डवः: the Pandava (Arjuna)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पर्वणि: on the full-moon day (parvan)
• पर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• सुसंक्रुद्धः: highly enraged
• सुसंक्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुसंक्रुद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राहुः: Rahu
• राहुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पूर्णम्: full (completely full)
• पूर्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• निशाकरम्: the moon
• निशाकरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशाकर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Duḥśāsana
• Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)
• Rāhu
• Moon (Niśākara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger in war can become eclipsing—like Rāhu covering the full Moon—suggesting that even justified retaliation risks overwhelming discernment and humane restraint, a key ethical tension in dharma-yuddha.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Arjuna (the Pāṇḍava) turning fiercely upon Duḥśāsana and pressing him hard in combat, using the vivid image of a lunar eclipse to convey the intensity of the assault.