Shloka 54

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

Devanagari script

हतशेषैर्महाराज द्विसाहसैह्योत्तमै: । निहन्तुकाम: समरे इरावन्तं महाबलम्‌

Transliteration

hataśeṣair mahārāja dvisāhasair hy uttamaiḥ | nihantukāmaḥ samare irāvantaṃ mahābalam ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“大王啊，他带着那从杀戮中幸存的两千匹上等良马，踏入战场，决意在交锋中诛杀大力的伊罗梵。”

Word by Word

• हतशेषैः: with the remaining survivors (after being slain)
• हतशेषैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हतशेष
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• द्विसाहसैः: with two-thousand (in number)
• द्विसाहसैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विसाहस
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• उत्तमैः: excellent, best
• उत्तमैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• निहन्तुकामः: desirous of slaying
• निहन्तुकामः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निहन्तुकाम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• इरावन्तम्: Irāvān
• इरावन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इरावन्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाबलम्: mighty-strong
• महाबलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'Mahārāja')
• Irāvān

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how intention (nihantukāmaḥ) drives action in war: even amid devastation, survivors regroup and pursue targeted violence, illustrating the relentless momentum of battle and the moral weight carried by deliberate intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that a warrior, supported by two thousand elite survivors, advances on the battlefield with the specific aim of killing the powerful Irāvān.