Shloka 12

भीष्मवधाय प्रयाणम् — The Advance toward Bhīṣma and Counter-Engagements

Devanagari script

तथेतरांस्तव सुतांस्ताडयामास भारत | शरैर्बहुविधै: संख्ये रुक्मपुड्खै: सुतेजनै:

Transliteration

tathetarāṁs tava sutāṁs tāḍayāmāsa bhārata | śarair bahuvidhaiḥ saṅkhye rukmapuṅkhaiḥ sutejanaiḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“同样地，噢婆罗多，在战阵最激烈之处，他以多种箭矢——金羽为翎、锋利无比——击中并骚扰你的其他儿子，使他们在兵刃交击之中承受痛楚与逼迫。”

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in the same way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• इतरान्: other
• इतरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तव: of you, your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• सुतान्: sons
• सुतान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ताडयामास: struck, smote, afflicted
• Type: Verb
• Root: ताड्
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• भारत: O Bharata
• भारत: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun (vocative, proper/epithet)
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• बहुविधैः: of many kinds, various
• बहुविधैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुविध
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• संख्ये: in battle
• संख्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संख्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• रुक्मपुङ्खैः: with golden-feathered (arrows)
• रुक्मपुङ्खैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुक्म-पुङ्ख
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सुतेजनैः: with very sharp/bright (arrows)
• सुतेजनैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-तेजन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Dhritarashtra (implied by address 'Bhārata')
• Kaurava princes (tava sutāḥ)
• arrows (śara)
• battlefield/battle (saṅkhya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the epic’s war-ethic: in saṅkhya (open battle), a warrior’s prowess manifests through disciplined, effective force. It also highlights the moral weight of conflict—Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons face the tangible consequences of the war they are entangled in.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warrior being described continues his assault, now wounding and pressuring the other Kaurava princes with numerous, extremely sharp, gold-feathered arrows amid the battle.