Shloka 5

Devanagari script

यदन्यबन्निहतेनाजी भीष्मेण जयमिच्छता । चेष्टितं कुरुसिंहेन तन्मे कथय सुव्रत

Transliteration

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | yad anyad abhinīhatena āji bhīṣmeṇa jayam icchatā | ceṣṭitaṃ kuru-siṃhena tan me kathaya suvrata ||

Translation

持国王说道：“三阇耶，汝持善誓而坚贞者，且为我详说：那求胜的库鲁之狮——毗湿摩，在战场被击倒之时，还作了哪些别的举动？”

Word by Word

• यत्: what/that which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अन्यवत्: otherwise; in another way
• अन्यवत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्यवत्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• निहते: when (he was) slain
• निहते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निहत
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अजि: in battle
• अजि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• भीष्मेण: by Bhishma
• भीष्मेण: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• जयम्: victory
• जयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छता: wishing/desiring
• इच्छता: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• चेष्टितम्: act; deed; conduct
• चेष्टितम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेष्टित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कुरुसिंहेन: by the lion among the Kurus
• कुरुसिंहेन: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-सिंह
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative/Genitive, Singular

• कथय: tell (you)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular

• सुव्रत: O you of good vows
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-व्रत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Kuru dynasty (Kurus)
• battlefield (Kurukṣetra implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between the desire for victory and the reality of dharma-bound action in war: even a great elder like Bhīṣma, famed for vows and duty, can be brought down, prompting reflection on what truly constitutes ‘right conduct’ amid conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīṣma has been struck down on the battlefield, Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya, the eyewitness narrator, asking him to recount what further actions or efforts Bhīṣma undertook at that critical moment.