Shloka 11

Devanagari script

भीष्मं शान्तनवं दृष्टवा विशीर्णकवचध्वजम्‌ । कुरव: पर्यवर्तन्त पाण्डवाश्न विशाम्पते

Transliteration

bhīṣmaṃ śāntanavaṃ dṛṣṭvā viśīrṇakavacadhvajam | kuravaḥ paryavartanta pāṇḍavāś ca viśāṃpate prajānātha ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：见到毗湿摩——善檀奴之子——甲胄尽碎、旌旗残裂，人民之主、护民之王啊，俱卢与般度两军竟都回转，环立其旁。此景昭示：纵在无休无止的厮杀之中，一位受敬仰的长老之倾颓或衰弱，也足以令仇怨暂歇，使双方同陷于对其威望、责任与战争悲剧代价的共同承认。

Word by Word

• भीष्मम्: Bhishma (as object)
• भीष्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शान्तनवम्: son of Shantanu
• शान्तनवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शान्तनव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral), Non-finite

• विशीर्ण: shattered, torn
• विशीर्ण: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-शीर्ण
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कवच: armor
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवच
• Form: Neuter, Stem (in compound), Singular

• ध्वजम्: banner, standard
• ध्वजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कुरवः: the Kurus
• कुरवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पर्यवर्तन्त: surrounded, stood around
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-वृत्
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), Ātmanepada, Third, Plural

• पाण्डवाः: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Śāntanu
• Kuravaḥ (Kurus/Kauravas)
• Pāṇḍavāḥ (Pāṇḍavas)
• Armor (kavaca)
• Banner/standard (dhvaja)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by vocatives viśāṃpate, prajānātha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a righteous war framed by duty, the sight of a venerable elder brought low evokes a shared moral pause: respect for greatness and the recognition that victory is inseparable from suffering. The verse highlights how dharma includes reverence and restraint, not merely combativeness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma—Śāntanu’s son—has been seen with his armor and banner badly damaged. In response, both the Kaurava and Pāṇḍava forces turn and gather around him, surrounding him on the battlefield.