Mahabharata
Bhīṣma-parva, adhyāya 1056.105.5-14
5875 / 15823
Mahabharata · 6.105.5-14
Devanāgarī

संजय उवाच
नाशीर्यत धनुस् तस्य रथभङ्गो न चाप्य् अभूत् ॥
युध्यमानस्य संग्रामे भीष्मस्य भरतर्षभ ॥
निघ्नतः समरे शत्रूञ् शरैः संनतपर्वभिः ॥
अनेकशतसाहस्रास् तावकानां महारथाः ॥
रथदन्तिगणा राजन् हयाश् चैव सुसज्जिताः ॥
अभ्यवर्तन्त युद्धाय पुरस्कृत्य पितामहम् ॥
यथाप्रतिज्ञं कौरव्य स चापि समितिंजयः ॥
पार्थानाम् अकरोद् भीष्मः सततं समितिक्षयम् ॥
युध्यमानं महेष्वासं विनिघ्नन्तं पराञ् शरैः ॥
पाञ्चालाः पाण्डवैः सार्धं सर्व एवाभ्यवारयन् ॥
दशमे ऽहनि संप्राप्ते तताप रिपुवाहिनीम् ॥
कीर्यमाणां शितैर् बाणैः शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः ॥
न हि भीष्मं महेष्वासं पाण्डवाः पाण्डुपूर्वज ॥
अशक्नुवन् रणे जेतुं पाशहस्तम् इवान्तकम् ॥
अथोपायान् महाराज सव्यसाची परंतपः ॥
त्रासयन् रथिनः सर्वान् बीभत्सुर् अपराजितः ॥
सिंहवद् विनदन्न् उच्चैर् धनुर्ज्यां विक्षिपन् मुहुः ॥
शरौघान् विसृजन् पार्थो व्यचरत् कालवद् रणे ॥
तस्य शब्देन वित्रस्तास् तावका भरतर्षभ ॥
सिंहस्येव मृगा राजन् व्यद्रवन्त महाभयात् ॥
जयन्तं पाण्डवं दृष्ट्वा त्वत्सैन्यं चाभिपीडितम् ॥
दुर्योधनस् ततो भीष्मम् अब्रवीद् भृशपीडितः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

saṃjaya uvāca
nāśīryata dhanus tasya rathabhaṅgo na cāpy abhūt ||
yudhyamānasya saṃgrāme bhīṣmasya bharatarṣabha ||
nighnataḥ samare śatrūñ śaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥ ||
anekaśatasāhasrās tāvakānāṃ mahārathāḥ ||
rathadantigaṇā rājan hayāś caiva susajjitāḥ ||
abhyavartanta yuddhāya puraskṛtya pitāmaham ||
yathāpratijñaṃ kauravya sa cāpi samitiṃjayaḥ ||
pārthānām akarod bhīṣmaḥ satataṃ samitikṣayam ||
yudhyamānaṃ maheṣvāsaṃ vinighnantaṃ parāñ śaraiḥ ||
pāñcālāḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ sārdhaṃ sarva evābhyavārayan ||
daśame 'hani saṃprāpte tatāpa ripuvāhinīm ||
kīryamāṇāṃ śitair bāṇaiḥ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||
na hi bhīṣmaṃ maheṣvāsaṃ pāṇḍavāḥ pāṇḍupūrvaja ||
aśaknuvan raṇe jetuṃ pāśahastam ivāntakam ||
athopāyān mahārāja savyasācī paraṃtapaḥ ||
trāsayan rathinaḥ sarvān bībhatsur aparājitaḥ ||
siṃhavad vinadann uccair dhanurjyāṃ vikṣipan muhuḥ ||
śaraughān visṛjan pārtho vyacarat kālavad raṇe ||
tasya śabdena vitrastās tāvakā bharatarṣabha ||
siṃhasyeva mṛgā rājan vyadravanta mahābhayāt ||
jayantaṃ pāṇḍavaṃ dṛṣṭvā tvatsainyaṃ cābhipīḍitam ||
duryodhanas tato bhīṣmam abravīd bhṛśapīḍitaḥ ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
संजय उवाचsaṃjaya uvācaSanjaya said; Sanjaya spoke
न अशीर्यत धनुः तस्यna aśīryata dhanuḥ tasyahis bow did not splinter; his bow did not break
रथभङ्गः न च अपि अभूत्rathabhaṅgaḥ na ca api abhūtand there was no breaking of the chariot; the chariot was not shattered
युध्यमानस्य संग्रामेyudhyamānasya saṃgrāmefighting in the battle; as he battled
भीष्मस्य भरतर्षभbhīṣmasya bharatarṣabhaof Bhishma, bull of the Bharatas; of Bhishma
निघ्नतः समरे शत्रून्nighnataḥ samare śatrūnslaying enemies in the fray; cutting down foes in battle
शरैः संनतपर्वभिःśaraiḥ saṃnataparvabhiḥwith arrows of bent joints; with curved shafts
अनेकशतसाहस्राःanekaśatasāhasrāḥmany hundreds of thousands; countless hundreds of thousands
तावकानाम् महारथाःtāvakānām mahārathāḥof your great chariot-warriors; of your mighty charioteers
रथदन्तिगणाः राजन्rathadantigaṇāḥ rājanranks of chariots and elephants, O king; throngs of chariots and elephants
हयाः च एव सुसज्जिताःhayāḥ ca eva susajjitāḥand well-arrayed horses; and splendidly caparisoned steeds
अभ्यवर्तन्त युद्धायabhyavartanta yuddhāyaadvanced for battle; moved toward the fight
पुरस्कृत्य पितामहम्puraskṛtya pitāmahamplacing the grandfather in front; putting Bhishma foremost
यथाप्रतिज्ञम् कौरव्यyathāpratijñam kauravyatrue to his vow, O Kauravya; keeping his own oath
सः च अपि समितिंजयःsaḥ ca api samitiṃjayaḥand he, the conqueror of assemblies; this vanquisher of battles
पार्थानाम् अकरोत् भीष्मःpārthānām akarot bhīṣmaḥBhishma wrought among the Parthas; Bhishma brought upon the Parthas
सततम् समितिक्षयम्satatam samitikṣayamconstant destruction in battle; unending slaughter
युध्यमानम् महेष्वासम्yudhyamānam maheṣvāsamthe great archer, fighting; the mighty bowman, battling
विनिघ्नन्तम् परान् शरैःvinighnantam parān śaraiḥcutting down the foe with arrows; striking down enemies
पाञ्चालाः पाण्डवैः सार्धम्pāñcālāḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ sārdhamthe Panchalas together with the Pandavas; the Panchalas and Pandavas
सर्वे एव अभ्यवारयन्sarve eva abhyavārayanall of them together tried to check him; all together strove to hold him back
दशमे अहनि संप्राप्तेdaśame ahani saṃprāptewhen the tenth day had come; as the tenth day arrived
तताप रिपुवाहिनीम्tatāpa ripuvāhinīmhe scorched the enemy host; he burned the hostile army
कीर्यमाणाम् शितैः बाणैःkīryamāṇām śitaiḥ bāṇaiḥstrewn with sharp arrows; covered with honed shafts
शतशः अथ सहस्रशःśataśaḥ atha sahasraśaḥby hundreds and by thousands; in their hundreds and thousands
न हि भीष्मम् महेष्वासम्na hi bhīṣmam maheṣvāsamfor indeed Bhishma, the great archer; for truly the mighty bowman Bhishma
पाण्डवाः पाण्डुपूर्वजpāṇḍavāḥ pāṇḍupūrvajathe Pandavas, O forefather of Pandu's line; the sons of Pandu
अशक्नुवन् रणे जेतुम्aśaknuvan raṇe jetumwere unable to conquer in battle; could not overcome
पाशहस्तम् इव अन्तकम्pāśahastam iva antakamlike Antaka with the noose in hand; like Death himself, noose in hand
अथ उपायात् महाराजatha upāyāt mahārājathen, by a stratagem, great king; then, resorting to a device, O king
सव्यसाची परंतपःsavyasācī paraṃtapaḥSavyasachi, the scorcher of foes; Arjuna, tormentor of enemies
त्रासयन् रथिनः सर्वान्trāsayan rathinaḥ sarvānterrifying all the charioteers; striking fear into every charioteer
बीभत्सुः अपराजितःbībhatsuḥ aparājitaḥBibhatsu, the unconquered; the unconquerable Arjuna
सिंहवत् विनदन् उच्चैःsiṃhavat vinadan uccaiḥroaring loudly like a lion; bellowing aloud like a lion
धनुःज्याम् विक्षिपन् मुहुःdhanuḥjyām vikṣipan muhuḥsnapping the bowstring again and again; repeatedly plucking the bowstring
शरौघान् विसृजन् पार्थःśaraughān visṛjan pārthaḥreleasing floods of arrows, the Partha; Arjuna, loosing streams of shafts
व्यचरत् कालवत् रणेvyacarat kālavat raṇemoved through the battle like Death itself; ranged the field like Time incarnate
तस्य शब्देन वित्रस्ताःtasya śabdena vitrastāḥterrified by that sound; struck with fear at that noise
तावकाः भरतर्षभtāvakāḥ bharatarṣabhayour men, O bull of the Bharatas; your warriors
सिंहस्य इव मृगाः राजन्siṃhasya iva mṛgāḥ rājanlike beasts before a lion, O king; like deer before a lion
व्यद्रवन्त महाभयात्vyadravanta mahābhayātfled in utter terror; scattered in great fear
जयन्तम् पाण्डवम् दृष्ट्वाjayantam pāṇḍavam dṛṣṭvāseeing the Pandava triumphant; beholding the victorious Pandava
त्वत् सैन्यम् च अभिपीडितम्tvat sainyam ca abhipīḍitamand your army hard pressed; and your host hemmed in
दुर्योधनः ततः भीष्मम्duryodhanaḥ tataḥ bhīṣmamDuryodhana then to Bhishma; Duryodhana thereafter
अब्रवीत् भृशपीडितःabravīt bhṛśapīḍitaḥspoke, sorely afflicted; addressed him, deeply distressed
Translation

Sanjaya said: "No, O bull of the Bharatas — Bhishma, who fought in that battle and struck down enemies with his curved arrows, neither had his bow splinter nor his chariot break. Many hundreds of thousands of your great chariot-warriors, ranks of chariots and elephants, O king, and splendidly caparisoned horses advanced to battle, placing the grandfather at their front. True to his vow, O Kauravya, Bhishma, conqueror of every fray, wrought unending destruction among the Parthas in battle. The Panchalas together with the Pandavas all strove together to check this great archer as he fought and struck down foes with his arrows. When the tenth day arrived, he scorched the enemy host, strewn with sharp arrows by the hundreds and thousands. For indeed the Pandavas, O forefather of Pandu's line, could not overcome the mighty archer Bhishma in battle, who was like Death himself with noose in hand. Then the unconquered Bibhatsu, Savyasachi, tormentor of foes, resorting to a stratagem, began to terrify every charioteer. Roaring loudly like a lion, ceaselessly plucking his bowstring and releasing floods of arrows, the Partha moved through the battle like Time incarnate. At that sound your warriors, O bull of the Bharatas, scattered in great terror, like beasts fleeing before a lion, O king. Seeing the Pandava triumphant and your army hard pressed, Duryodhana, deeply distressed, then spoke to Bhishma."

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ff346e676dd4 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:55:41 PM UTC

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