Mahabharata · 7.1.1–2
॥
Devanāgarī
जनमेजय उवाच
तम् अप्रतिमसत्त्वौजोबलवीर्यपराक्रमम् ॥
हतं देवव्रतं श्रुत्वा पाञ्चाल्येन शिखण्डिना ॥
धृतराष्ट्रस् तदा राजा शोकव्याकुलचेतनः ॥
किम् अचेष्टत विप्रर्षे हते पितरि वीर्यवान् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
janamejaya uvāca
tam apratimasattvaujobalavīryaparākramam ||
hataṃ devavrataṃ śrutvā pāñcālyena śikhaṇḍinā ||
dhṛtarāṣṭras tadā rājā śokavyākulacetanaḥ ||
kim aceṣṭata viprarṣe hate pitari vīryavān ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तम्tamhim; that one [Bhishma]
अप्रतिमसत्त्वौजोबलवीर्यपराक्रमम्apratimasattvaujobalavīryaparākramam[the one] whose essence, ardor, strength, valor, and onslaught are unmatched; unmatched in might and heroism
हतम्hatamslain; struck down
देवव्रतम्devavratamDevavrata; Bhishma (Devavrata)
श्रुत्वाśrutvāhaving heard; hearing
पाञ्चाल्येनpāñcālyenaby the Panchalya; by [the prince] of the Panchala clan
शिखण्डिनाśikhaṇḍināby Shikhandin; by [the warrior] Shikhandin
धृतराष्ट्रःdhṛtarāṣṭraḥDhritarashtra
तदाtadāthen; at that time
राजाrājāthe king
शोकव्याकुलचेतनःśokavyākulacetanaḥ[he] whose mind was distraught with grief; with mind clouded by sorrow
किम्kimwhat?; how?
अचेष्टतaceṣṭatadid; undertook
विप्रर्षेviprarṣeO sage-brahmin; O vipra-rishi (address to Vaishampayana)
हतेhatewhen slain; upon the killing
पितरिpitarithe father [-forebear Bhishma]; when [his] father
वीर्यवान्vīryavānvalorous; mighty (of the king)
Translation
[Janamejaya said:] Having heard that Devavrata — unmatched in essence, ardor, strength, valor, and onslaught — was slain by the Panchalya Shikhandin, what did King Dhritarashtra do then, O sage-brahmin, his mind distraught with grief, when [his] father-forebear was killed?
Version
5bf81c75cc03 · published Jul 19, 2026, 2:46:26 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The book opens with the fall of Bhishma — the axis on which the whole war turns. It is significant that the invincible one, "unmatched in essence, strength, and onslaught," was struck down by Shikhandin, born a woman, against whom the grandsire would not raise his weapon: the outwardly unconquerable is conquered not by superior force but by his own vow and the will of the supreme ordainer. Janamejaya's question is aimed at the heart of grief — what does the bereaved ruler do when the one who was a father to him has fallen; and already in this asking one hears that with the departure of the guardian of the lineage, the support of the whole army collapses.