Shloka 21

Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies

Devanagari script

एकादशी धार्तराष्ट्रा कौरवाणां महाचमू: । अग्रतः सर्वसैन्यानां यत्र शान्तनवो5ग्रणी:

Transliteration

ekādaśī dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ kauravāṇāṁ mahācamūḥ | agrataḥ sarvasainyānāṁ yatra śāntanavo 'graṇīḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“俱卢族的大军，属于持国之子，编为第十一军团。它立于诸军之前，而其统帅乃是山度奴之子毗湿摩——纪律严整的统御之象征，也是长者在骨肉相争之战中所背负的沉重道义。”

Word by Word

• एकादशी: the eleventh
• एकादशी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकादश
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• धार्तराष्ट्रा: belonging to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (i.e., Duryodhana’s)
• धार्तराष्ट्रा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कौरवाणाम्: of the Kauravas
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महाचमूः: the great army (division)
• महाचमूः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाचमू
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अग्रतः: in front; at the forefront
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः

• सर्वसैन्यानाम्: of all the armies
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वसैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• शान्तनवः: the son of Śantanu (Bhīṣma)
• शान्तनवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शान्तनव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अग्रणीः: leader; commander-in-chief
• अग्रणीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्रणी
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kauravas
• Bhīṣma (Śāntanava)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical gravity of leadership in war: even revered elders like Bhīṣma may stand at the forefront due to vows and duty, showing how dharma can become complex when loyalty, lineage, and righteousness collide.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing the arrangement of the Kaurava forces at Kurukṣetra, specifying that the eleventh great division of the Dhṛtarāṣṭra side stands in front, led by Bhīṣma, Śāntanu’s son.