Shloka 7

Devanagari script

एवमुक्तस्तु पार्थेन शिखण्डी भरतर्षभ | शरैर्नानाविधैस्तूर्ण पितामहमवाकिरत्‌,भरतश्रेष्ठ! अर्जुनके ऐसा कहनेपर शिखण्डी तुरंत ही पितामह भीष्मपर नाना प्रकारके बाणोंकी वर्षा करने लगा

Transliteration

evam uktas tu pārthena śikhaṇḍī bharatarṣabha | śarair nānāvidhais tūrṇaṃ pitāmaham avākirat ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：被帕尔塔（阿周那）如此吩咐后，式迦ṇḍī——婆罗多族中的雄牛——立刻以各式箭矢疾如骤雨，倾洒在祖父毗湿摩身上。

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• उक्तः: having been spoken to / addressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• पार्थेन: by Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• नानाविधैः: of various kinds
• नानाविधैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना-विध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तूर्णम्: swiftly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तूर्णम्

• पितामहम्: the grandsire (Bhishma)
• पितामहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवाकिरत्: showered / covered (with arrows)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√कॄ (किरति)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna (Pārtha)
• Śikhaṇḍī
• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension between reverence and duty in warfare: even a venerable elder like Bhīṣma may be opposed when the demands of one’s side, strategic necessity, and the larger course of dharma in a conflict compel action.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Arjuna speaks to him, Śikhaṇḍī immediately begins attacking Bhīṣma, covering him with many kinds of arrows; Sañjaya reports this rapid escalation in the battle.