Shloka 22

भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः

Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed

Devanagari script

विराटद्रुपदौ वृद्धौ वारयन्ती महाचमूम्‌ । भीष्मं च युधि संरब्धावाद्रवन्ती महारथौ

Transliteration

virāṭa-drupadau vṛddhau vārayantī mahācamūm | bhīṣmaṃ ca yudhi saṃrabdhāv ādravantī mahārathau ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：年迈的国王毗罗吒与德鲁波陀，为阻遏那浩瀚大军，怒气填胸地驰入战场——二人皆为大车战士——并向毗湿摩冲去。

Word by Word

• विराटद्रुपदौ: Virata and Drupada
• विराटद्रुपदौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विराट + द्रुपद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• वृद्धौ: aged, old
• वृद्धौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• वारयन्ती: restraining, holding back
• वारयन्ती: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृ (वारयति)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual, Present active participle (Parasmaipada)

• महाचमूम्: the great army
• महाचमूम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाचमू
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• भीष्मम्: Bhishma
• भीष्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• संरब्धौ: enraged, excited
• संरब्धौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संरब्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual, Past passive participle

• आद्रवन्ती: rushing towards, charging
• आद्रवन्ती: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √द्रु (द्रवति)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual, Present active participle (Parasmaipada)

• महारथौ: the two great chariot-warriors
• महारथौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Virāṭa
• Drupada
• Bhīṣma
• mahācamū (great army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma: even aged rulers may feel compelled to confront a formidable enemy when duty demands resistance. It also hints at the tragic moral pressure of war, where righteous courage and destructive anger can coexist.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the elderly kings Virāṭa and Drupada attempt to hold back the massive opposing army and, in anger, charge directly at Bhīṣma on the battlefield as two elite chariot-warriors.