Shloka 22

अध्याय ८८ — घटोत्कच-दुर्योधनयुद्धवर्णनम्

Ghaṭotkaca–Duryodhana Engagement

Devanagari script

प्रेक्षस्व भीष्म॑ युधि भीमवेगं सर्वास्तपन्तं मम सैन्यसंघान्‌ । शरौघजालैरतितिग्मवेगै: काल॑ यथा कालकृतं क्षणेन

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

prekṣasva bhīṣma yudhi bhīmavegaṃ sarvāstapantaṃ mama sainyasaṃghān |

śaraughajālair atitigmravegaiḥ kālaṃ yathā kālakṛtaṃ kṣaṇena ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“看哪，在战斗中，毗摩的冲势何其可怖——他如何灼烧我军诸部，使之尽受煎迫。以箭雨织成的罗网，挟着剃刃般锐利的疾速，他宛如迦罗（时间/死神）本身：当命定之时到来，便在顷刻间毁灭有身之众。”

Word by Word

• प्रेक्षस्व: look (behold)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ईक्ष्
• Form: Loṭ (imperative), 2, singular, Ātmanepada

• भीष्म: O Bhīṣma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध्
• Form: feminine, locative, singular

• भीमवेगम्: of terrible speed
• भीमवेगम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीम-वेग
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• तपन्तम्: tormenting, scorching
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप्
• Form: present active participle (śatṛ), masculine, accusative, singular

• मम: my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: genitive, singular

• सैन्यसंघान्: masses of troops, army-formations
• सैन्यसंघान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सैन्य-संघ
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• शरौघजालैः: with nets/meshes of torrents of arrows
• शरौघजालैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर-ओघ-जाल
• Form: neuter, instrumental, plural

• अतितिग्मवेगैः: with exceedingly sharp/violent speed (i.e., very swift and keen)
• अतितिग्मवेगैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति-तिग्म-वेग
• Form: masculine/neuter, instrumental, plural

• कालम्: Time/Death (as Kāla)
• कालम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• यथा: as, just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• कालकृतम्: done/ordained by Time (fate-made)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल-कृत
• Form: past passive participle (kta), neuter, accusative, singular

• क्षणेन: in an instant, in a moment
• क्षणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Bhīma
• Kāla (Time/Death)
• Kaurava army (mama sainyasaṃghāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical vision that in war—even when fought under dharma’s constraints—human power is fragile before Kāla (Time/Death). Martial prowess appears overwhelming, yet it functions within an inescapable order of destiny and impermanence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to (and addresses) Bhīṣma, urging him to observe the battlefield: a warrior (described as bhīmavega) is tormenting the Kaurava forces with dense, swift arrow-showers, likened to Death arriving at the appointed time and destroying beings in a moment.