Shloka 21

Devanagari script

जघान सुबहूंस्तेषां संरब्ध: कुरुसत्तम: । ततस्ते शरणं जम्मुर्देवव्रतमिमं भयात्‌,रोषमें भरे हुए कुरुश्रेष्ठ भीष्मने जब उनमेंसे बहुत-से राजाओंको मार डाला, तब वे डरके मारे पुनः इन्हीं देवव्रत (भीष्म)-की शरणमें आये

Transliteration

jaghāna subahūṁs teṣāṁ saṁrabdhaḥ kurusattamaḥ | tatas te śaraṇaṁ jagmur devavratam imaṁ bhayāt ||

Translation

盛怒之下，俱卢族之最（毗湿摩）击杀了他们中的许多人。于是那些国王惊惧不已，又因恐惧而再度前来投奔此德瓦弗拉塔（毗湿摩）求庇护。

Word by Word

• जघान: slew/killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सुबहून्: many (persons)
• सुबहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुबहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• संरब्धः: enraged, impassioned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संरब्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √रभ् + सम्, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कुरुसत्तमः: the best of the Kurus
• कुरुसत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शरणम्: refuge, protection
• शरणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• जग्मुः: went, resorted
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• देवव्रतम्: Devavrata (Bhishma)
• देवव्रतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवव्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इमम्: this
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भयात्: from fear, out of fear
• भयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Bhishma
• Devavrata
• Kurus
• kings (unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a recurring ethical dynamic in the epic: when confronted by overwhelming force and the consequences of conflict, people often abandon pride and factionalism to seek refuge in the strongest protector. It also reflects how a warrior’s prowess can become the pivot of political allegiance in wartime.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana recounts that Bhīṣma (Devavrata), furious in battle, killed many among certain kings; frightened by this, the remaining kings returned and sought Bhīṣma’s protection.