Shloka 14

भीष्मधनंजयद्वैरथम्

Bhīṣma–Dhanaṃjaya Duel and the Opening Clash

Devanagari script

एष द्रोण: कृप: शल्यो विकर्णश्न जनार्दन । धार्रराष्ट्रश्न सहिता दुर्योधनपुरोगमा:

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | eṣa droṇaḥ kṛpaḥ śalyo vikarṇaś ca janārdana | dhārtarāṣṭrāś ca sahitā duryodhana-purogamāḥ |

Translation

桑阇耶说道：“噢，阇那尔达那！看哪：德罗那、克利波、沙利耶、毗迦尔那；还有持国之子们，也在都利约陀那率领之下。倚仗毗湿摩坚固的庇护，这些强弓之士将合力覆灭般遮罗的勇士。因此，为护全军，我将诛杀毗湿摩。”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'sañjaya uvāca', 'definition': 'Sañjaya said (narrator reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)'}, {'term': 'eṣa', 'definition': 'this/these

• here (pointing out those present)'}, {'term': 'droṇaḥ', 'definition': 'Droṇa, the preceptor and commander

• master of weapons'}, {'term': 'kṛpaḥ', 'definition': 'Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya), royal teacher and warrior'}, {'term': 'śalyaḥ', 'definition': 'Śalya, king of Madra

• a major warrior'}, {'term': 'vikarṇaḥ', 'definition': 'Vikarṇa, a son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra'}, {'term': 'janārdana', 'definition': 'Janārdana, epithet of Kṛṣṇa (stirrer/remover of oppression

• protector)'}, {'term': 'dhārtarāṣṭrāḥ', 'definition': 'sons/party of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (the Kauravas)'}, {'term': 'sahitāḥ', 'definition': 'together, united, in company'}, {'term': 'duryodhana-purogamāḥ', 'definition': 'having Duryodhana in front

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• Droṇa
• Kṛpa
• Śalya
• Vikarṇa
• Dhārtarāṣṭras (sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra / Kauravas)
• Duryodhana
• Bhīṣma
• Pāñcālas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical tension between loyalty to revered elders and the necessity of decisive action in war: when a single invincible protector (Bhīṣma) enables large-scale slaughter, strategy may demand confronting that protector for the greater safeguarding of one’s forces—raising questions of dharma, proportionality, and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya points out the principal Kaurava champions—Droṇa, Kṛpa, Śalya, Vikarṇa, and the Dhṛtarāṣṭra sons led by Duryodhana—emphasizing that under Bhīṣma’s protection they can devastate the Pāñcāla contingent. The reported resolve is to remove Bhīṣma as the key defensive pillar to protect the army and alter the battle’s balance.