Shloka 1

Devanagari script

भी्नआ+ज (2) आमने सप्तदशाधिकशततमो< ध्याय: उभय पक्षकी सेनाओंका युद्ध

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | śikhaṇḍī tu raṇe bhīṣmam āsādya puruṣarṣabham | daśabhir niśitair bhallair ājaghāna stanāntare ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：大王啊，在激战之中，尸佉ṇḍī上前迎战毗湿摩——人中之雄——以十支锋利如刃的“婆罗”(bhalla)箭射中其胸膛。

Word by Word

• संजयः: Sanjaya
• संजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular

• शिखण्डी: Shikhandi
• शिखण्डी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखण्डिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• आसाद्य: having approached/reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√सद्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• पुरुषर्षभम्: the bull among men (best of men)
• पुरुषर्षभम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषर्षभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दशभिः: with ten
• दशभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• निशितैः: sharp/keen
• निशितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• भल्लैः: with bhalla-arrows
• भल्लैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्ल
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• आजघान: struck/smote
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√हन्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular

• स्तनान्तरे: in the chest/breast-region
• स्तनान्तरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तनान्तर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Śikhaṇḍī
• bhalla (arrows)
• raṇa (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the inexorable logic of dharma within war: even the greatest warrior is bound by prior vows and ethical constraints, and once those constraints align with battlefield strategy, the course of events becomes unstoppable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śikhaṇḍī confronts Bhīṣma in battle and pierces him with ten sharp bhalla arrows in the chest, marking an intensification of the assault on Bhīṣma.