Shloka 88

गौरुडव्यूह-रचना तथा अर्धचन्द्र-प्रत्यव्यूह

Garuḍa Array and the Ardhacandra Counter-Formation

Devanagari script

शक्ति विनिहतां दृष्टवा वैराटि: क्रोधमूर्च्छित:

Transliteration

śaktiṁ vinihatāṁ dṛṣṭvā vairāṭiḥ krodha-mūrcchitaḥ | gadāṁ jagrāha saṁhṛṣṭo bhīṣmasya nidhanaṁ prati ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：见自己的投枪竟成徒劳，毗罗吒之子被怒火冲昏，几近昏厥，却又兴奋地抓起钉锤（伽陀），一心要致毗湿摩于死地。此刻昭示：战场之上，嗔怒能遮蔽明辨，使本分化作鲁莽的复仇。

Word by Word

• शक्तिम्: the spear/weapon (śakti)
• शक्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• विनिहताम्: struck down / rendered ineffective
• विनिहताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-नि-हन् (क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund)

• वैराटिः: the son of Virāṭa (Śveta)
• वैराटिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैराटि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्रोध-मूर्च्छितः: fainted/overpowered by anger
• क्रोध-मूर्च्छितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध + मूर्च्छित (मूर्छ् + क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गदाम्: a mace
• गदाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• जग्राह: seized/took up
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• संहृष्टः: exhilarated / delighted
• संहृष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-हृष् (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भीष्मस्य: of Bhīṣma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• निधनम्: death / destruction
• निधनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रति: towards / with regard to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Vairāṭi (Śveta, son of Virāṭa)
• śakti (spear/javelin)
• gadā (mace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger (krodha) can overwhelm judgment, making a warrior lose विवेक (discernment) and rush from rightful duty into impulsive vengeance—an ethical warning embedded within the war narrative.

What is happening in the narrative?

After his spear attack is thwarted, Virāṭa’s son Śveta becomes enraged and, in excited confidence, grabs a mace with the intention of killing Bhīṣma, as Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.