Shloka 3

भीष्मस्य मण्डलव्यूहः — Bhīṣma’s Maṇḍala Battle-Formation and the Opening Engagements

Devanagari script

तस्य विक्षिपतश्चापं शरानन्यांश्न॒ मुज्चत: । आददानस्य भूयश्न संदधानस्य चापरान्‌

Transliteration

tasya vikṣipataś cāpaṃ śarān anyān anyān muñcataḥ | ādadānasya bhūyaś ca saṃdadhānasya cāparān |

Translation

三阇耶说道：当他引弓挥弓，连珠放箭；又一次次取来新矢，再将更多箭矢搭上弦，在击倒群敌之时，他的身影奇伟非常，宛如载雨之云，于战场上倾泻滂沱。

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that (warrior)
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• विक्षिपतः: while (he) was drawing/brandishing
• विक्षिपतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-क्षिप्
• Form: present active participle, masculine, genitive, singular

• चापम्: bow
• चापम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप
• Form: masculine/neuter, accusative, singular

• शरान्: arrows
• शरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• अन्यान्: other, different (ones)
• अन्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• मुच्यतः: while releasing/letting go (of arrows)
• मुच्यतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: present middle participle, masculine, genitive, singular

• आददानस्य: while taking (up)
• आददानस्य: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-दा
• Form: present active participle, masculine, genitive, singular

• भूयः: again, repeatedly
• भूयः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्
• Form: true

• संदधानस्य: while fixing/placing (on the bow), while aiming
• संदधानस्य: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-धा
• Form: present active participle, masculine, genitive, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: true

• अपरान्: other (arrows) / further (ones)
• अपरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• bow (cāpa)
• arrows (śara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined martial focus—continuous readiness, swift action, and unwavering attention to one’s role in a righteous duty-bound context (kṣatriya conduct), while also portraying the awe such concentrated skill inspires.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a warrior in the thick of battle repeatedly drawing the bow, releasing successive arrows, taking new arrows, and setting them to the string—an unbroken rhythm of archery that makes him appear like a rain-cloud showering arrows upon enemies.