Shloka 16

Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)

Devanagari script

स शेते निहतो भूमौ वातभग्न इव द्रुम: । मम दुर्मन्त्रितेनाजी यथा नाहति भारत

Transliteration

sa śete nihato bhūmau vātabhagna iva drumaḥ | mama durmantritena ājau yathā nāhati bhārata ||

Translation

持国王说道：“他被杀倒卧在大地上，如同被狂风折断的树。噢，婆罗多啊，仿佛正因我那恶劣的谋议，他才在战场上被击倒。”

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शेते: lies, rests
• शेते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (शयने)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• निहतः: slain, struck down
• निहतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-हन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• वात-भग्नः: broken by the wind
• वात-भग्नः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वात + भग्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (in भग्न)

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• द्रुमः: a tree
• द्रुमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रुम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मम: my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• दुर्मन्त्रितेन: by (my) evil counsel / bad advice
• दुर्मन्त्रितेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् + मन्त्रित
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular, क्त (in मन्त्रित)

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

• यथा: as, in such a way that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अहति: strikes, kills, harms
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun (vocative proper name/epithet)
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhīṣma
• Sañjaya (addressed as Bhārata)
• Bhārata lineage (Bharata)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights moral accountability: a ruler’s misguided counsel and choices can bring ruin even upon the greatest protectors, and grief is sharpened by the awareness of one’s own culpability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing of Bhīṣma’s fall on the battlefield, describes him lying on the ground like a wind-broken tree and attributes this catastrophe to his own ill advice and decisions that led to the war.