Shloka 41

भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas

Devanagari script

आपततन्तं तु निस्त्रिंशं युद्धमार्गविशारद: । लाघवाद्‌ व्यंसयामास सौभद्र: परवीरहा

Transliteration

āpatatantaṃ tu nistriṃśaṃ yuddha-mārga-viśāradaḥ | lāghavād vyaṃsayāmāsa saubhadraḥ para-vīra-hā ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：精通战道与阵法、善斩敌方勇士的苏跋陀罗之子（阿毗曼纽），凭借迅捷身法，使那迎面袭来的利剑之击落空无效。

Word by Word

• आपतन्तम्: falling/coming towards
• आपतन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपतत् (√पत् + आ)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• निस्त्रिंशम्: sword
• निस्त्रिंशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निस्त्रिंश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• युद्धमार्गविशारदः: skilled in the ways/tactics of battle
• युद्धमार्गविशारदः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युद्धमार्गविशारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• लाघवात्: by/through agility
• लाघवात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाघव
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• व्यंसयामास: made (it) miss/warded off/rendered futile
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यंसयामास (√अंस्/अंसय् with वि-; periphrastic perfect of causative)
• Form: Periphrastic Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular

• सौभद्रः: the son of Subhadrā (Abhimanyu)
• सौभद्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौभद्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परवीरहा: slayer of enemy heroes
• परवीरहा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परवीरहन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Saubhadra (Abhimanyu)
• nistriṃśa (sword)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid warfare, excellence is shown through disciplined skill and presence of mind: the hero neutralizes danger by agility and technique, illustrating controlled action rather than impulsive violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

An enemy sword rushes toward Abhimanyu; being expert in battlefield methods, he swiftly makes the attack ineffective—dodging or deflecting it so the blow fails.