Shloka 5

भीष्मस्य भीमसेन-निरोधः

Bhīṣma checks Bhīmasena; matched engagements intensify

Devanagari script

पाण्डवोंकी सेनाओंमें ऐसे-ऐसे प्रहारकुशल योद्धा हैं, जो शस्त्रविद्याके ज्ञाता एवं योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ भीष्म आदि समस्त महारथियोंके साथ भी युद्ध कर लेते हैं ।। केनावध्या महात्मान: पाण्डुपुत्रा महाबला: | केन दत्तवरास्तात किं वा ज्ञानं विदन्ति ते,तात! महाबली महात्मा पाण्डव किस कारणसे अवध्य हैं? किसने उन्हें वर दिया है अथवा कौन-सा ज्ञान वे जानते हैं?

Transliteration

Dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | kenāvadhyā mahātmānaḥ pāṇḍuputrā mahābalāḥ | kena dattavarās tāta kiṃ vā jñānaṃ vidanti te tāta |

Translation

持国王说道：“般度诸子的军中有许多善于出击的勇士，通晓兵器之学，甚至能与毗湿摩等一切大车战士（摩诃罗陀）交锋。如此，伟大而强盛的般度之子为何竟成不可杀者？孩子啊，是谁赐予他们恩赐？或他们究竟掌握了何等特殊的智慧？”

Word by Word

केनby whom? / by what?

अवध्याःinvulnerable / not to be slain

महात्मानःgreat-souled ones

पाण्डु-पुत्राःsons of Pाण्डु (the Pandavas)

महा-बलाःvery strong / mighty

केनby whom? / by what?

दत्त-वराःhaving been granted boons

तातdear one / father (address)

किम्what?

वाor

ज्ञानम्knowledge

विदन्तिthey know

तेthey

तातdear one (address)

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Pāṇḍavas (Pāṇḍuputras)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power in the Mahābhārata is not viewed as merely physical; Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s question frames victory and invulnerability as possibly rooted in dharmic merit, divine boons, or superior knowledge—suggesting that ethical and spiritual causes can underlie worldly outcomes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, hearing of the Pāṇḍavas’ formidable capacity to face even the greatest warriors, asks Sañjaya (addressed as ‘tāta’) why they seem impossible to kill—whether due to granted boons or some special knowledge—revealing his fear for his sons’ prospects in the war.