Mahabharata · 6.111.1-2
॥
Devanāgarī
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
कथं शांतनवो भीष्मो दशमे ऽहनि संजय ॥
अयुध्यत महावीर्यैः पाण्डवैः सहसृञ्जयैः ॥
कुरवश् च कथं युद्धे पाण्डवान् प्रत्यवारयन् ॥
आचक्ष्व मे महायुद्धं भीष्मस्याहवशोभिनः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
kathaṃ śāṃtanavo bhīṣmo daśame 'hani saṃjaya ||
ayudhyata mahāvīryaiḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ sahasṛñjayaiḥ ||
kuravaś ca kathaṃ yuddhe pāṇḍavān pratyavārayan ||
ācakṣva me mahāyuddhaṃ bhīṣmasyāhavaśobhinaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
धृतराष्ट्र उवाचdhṛtarāṣṭra uvācaDhritarashtra said; Dhritarashtra spoke
कथम् शांतनवः भीष्मःkatham śāṃtanavaḥ bhīṣmaḥhow Shantanava Bhishma; in what way the son of Shantanu
दशमे अहनि संजयdaśame ahani saṃjayaon the tenth day, Sanjaya; on the tenth day
अयुध्यत महावीर्यैःayudhyata mahāvīryaiḥfought with mighty heroes; battled with the greatly powerful
पाण्डवैः सहसृञ्जयैःpāṇḍavaiḥ sahasṛñjayaiḥwith the Pandavas and the Srinjayas; against the Pandavas together with the Srinjayas
कुरवः च कथम् युद्धेkuravaḥ ca katham yuddheand how the Kurus in battle; how indeed the Kauravas in the fight
पाण्डवान् प्रत्यवारयन्pāṇḍavān pratyavārayanheld back the Pandavas; stopped the Pandavas
आचक्ष्व मे महायुद्धम्ācakṣva me mahāyuddhamtell me of the great battle; relate to me the combat
भीष्मस्य आहवशोभिनःbhīṣmasya āhavaśobhinaḥof Bhishma, who adorned the battle; of Bhishma, glorious in combat
Translation
Dhritarashtra said: "How, Sanjaya, did Shantanava Bhishma fight on the tenth day against the mighty Pandavas and the Srinjayas? And how did the Kurus hold back the Pandavas in battle? Tell me of the great combat of Bhishma, who adorned the field of war."
Version
38793e24370e · published Jul 17, 2026, 10:03:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhritarashtra's question centers not on the whole battle but on Bhishma alone. For the Kauravas the grandsire has become the army's mainstay, and the fate of the day is now measured by how he stands against the Pandavas.