Shloka 36

भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal

Devanagari script

इरावानथ निर्भिन्न: प्रासैस्तीकणैर्महात्मभि: । स्रवता रुधिरेणाक्तस्तोत्रैविंद्ध इव द्विप:

Transliteration

irāvān atha nirbhinnaḥ prāsais tīkṣṇair mahātmabhiḥ | sravatā rudhireṇāktaḥ totrair viddha iva dvipaḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：随后伊罗梵被那些大心勇士掷来的锐矛刺穿撕裂，周身为奔流的鲜血所涂染。恰如被象夫钩刺驱赶、又受创的战象，他烦乱不安、步履摇晃——英勇之身遭逢战争冷酷而无情的重压。

Word by Word

• इरावान्: Iravan
• इरावान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इरावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• निर्भिन्नः: pierced, torn
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्भिन्न (नि-√भिद्, क्त/क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रासैः: with spears
• प्रासैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तीक्ष्णैः: sharp
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• महात्मभिः: by great-souled (heroes)
• महात्मभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• स्रवता: flowing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्रवत् (√स्रु, शतृ-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• रुधिरेण: with blood
• रुधिरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुधिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• आक्तः: smeared, anointed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आक्त (आ-√अञ्ज्, क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्तोत्रैः: with goads (ankushas)
• स्तोत्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• विद्धः: wounded, pierced
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद्ध (√व्यध्, क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• द्विपः: an elephant
• द्विपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Irāvān
• prāsa (spear/javelin)
• totra (elephant-goad/ankusha)
• dvipa (elephant)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the stark reality of war: even the noble and courageous are reduced to suffering bodies. The elephant-goad simile highlights how violence drives beings into distress, reminding the reader that battlefield glory is inseparable from pain and the ethical weight of harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Irāvān on the battlefield being repeatedly pierced by sharp spears thrown by heroic warriors. Covered in flowing blood, Irāvān becomes agitated and distressed, compared to an elephant wounded by an elephant-hook.