Shloka 3

Bhagadattā’s Deployment Against Ghaṭotkaca; Elephant-Corps Escalation

Devanagari script

स तु भीष्मो रणश्लाघी सोमकान्‌ सहसृञज्जयान्‌ | पज्चालांश्व महेष्वासान्‌ पातयामास सायकै:,युद्धकी स्पृहा रखनेवाले भीष्म अपने बाणोंके द्वारा सोमक, सृंजय और पांचाल महाधनुर्धरोंको रणभूमिमें गिराने लगे

Transliteration

sa tu bhīṣmo raṇaślāghī somakān sahasṛñjayān | pāñcālāṃś ca maheṣvāsān pātayāmāsa sāyakaiḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：毗湿摩嗜战而奋，遂以箭矢射倒苏摩迦、萨哈斯林阇耶以及般遮罗诸大弓手，使其纷纷仆落于战场之上。

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• रणश्लाघी: boasting of battle / battle-proud
• रणश्लाघी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रणश्लाघिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सोमकान्: the Somakas
• सोमकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सहसृञ्जयान्: together with the Srijayas
• सहसृञ्जयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृञ्जय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पाञ्चालान्: the Panchalas
• पाञ्चालान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाञ्चाल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महेष्वासान्: great bowmen
• महेष्वासान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेष्वास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पातयामास: caused to fall / felled
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Past, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada, Yes

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Somakas
• Sahasṛñjayas
• Pāñcālas
• arrows (sāyaka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral gravity embedded in martial excellence: Bhīṣma’s celebrated prowess (raṇaślāghī) results in the felling of many warriors. It invites reflection on kṣatriya-duty and the ethical cost of war—valor is real, but so is the suffering it produces.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma is actively dominating the battlefield, shooting down warriors from the Somakas, Sahasṛñjayas, and Pāñcālas with volleys of arrows, causing them to fall on the field.