Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 33

भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्

The Tumult of Battle Described

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा रथान्‌ स्वान्‌ व्यपनीयमानान्‌ प्रत्युद्ययौ सात्यकिं योद्धुमिच्छन्‌

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā rathān svān vyapanīyamānān pratyudyayau sātyakiṃ yoddhum icchan | rājann! tadā tatra somadattaputraṃ bhūriśravāṃ vihāya nānyo yodhā viṣāda-grasto 'bhavat | bhārata! somadattakumāro mahāmanā bhūriśravā rathīn svān vivaśān palāyamānān dṛṣṭvā dhanuḥ gṛhītvā yuddhecchayā sātyakim abhyāruroha ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：见己方战车被逼退，索摩达多之子婆利湿罗婆挺身而起，迎向萨底耶吉，渴欲一战。大王啊，当时除婆利湿罗婆外，无一勇士不为沮丧所制。婆利湿罗婆这位高怀之士，见己方车战之士被迫奔逃，便执弓前进，决意与萨底耶吉交锋。

Word by Word

• {'dṛṣṭvā': 'having seen', 'rathān': 'chariots

• chariot-forces', 'svān': "one's own", 'vyapanīyamānān': 'being driven away/removed

• being pushed back', 'pratyudyayau': 'went forth to meet

• advanced in counter-attack', 'sātyakim': 'Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna), the Vṛṣṇi warrior', 'yoddhum': 'to fight', 'icchan': 'desiring

• intending', 'rājan': 'O King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'tadā': 'then

• at that time', 'tatra': 'there', 'somadatta-putra': 'son of Somadatta', 'bhūriśravā': 'Bhūriśravas (a Kaurava-side warrior)', 'vihāya': 'excepting

• leaving aside', 'nānyaḥ': 'no other', 'yodhā': 'warrior', 'viṣāda-grasta': 'overcome by despondency', 'bhārata': 'O descendant of Bharata', 'mahāmanā': 'great-souled

• high-minded', 'rathīn': 'chariot-warriors', 'vivaśān': 'helpless

• compelled', 'palāyamānān': 'fleeing

• running away', 'dhanuḥ': 'bow', 'gṛhītvā': 'having taken up', 'yuddha-icchayā': 'with desire/resolve for battle', 'abhyāruroha': 'advanced upon

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhūriśravas
• Somadatta
• Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna)
• chariots
• bow

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid collective discouragement, a warrior bound by kṣatriya-dharma may choose steadfast action: Bhūriśravas refuses to sink into viṣāda and instead takes up his bow to confront the enemy, embodying resolve and honor in crisis.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the Kaurava chariot-forces are pushed back and many warriors become dejected, Bhūriśravas—son of Somadatta—alone remains undismayed; seeing his side’s chariot-warriors fleeing, he advances to engage Sātyaki in battle.