Shloka 256
Adhyāya 107 — बहुयुद्धप्रकरणम्
Multiple Defensive Engagements to Protect Bhīṣma
व्यश्वसूतरथं चक्रे सर्वसैन्यस्य पश्यत: । भीमसेनने दो ही घड़ीमें सारी सेनाके देखते-देखते राजा बाह्नलीकको घोड़े, सारथि तथा रथसे शून्य कर दिया
sañjaya uvāca |
vy-aśvasūtarathaṃ cakre sarvasainyasya paśyataḥ |
قال سنجيا: «وأمام أنظار الجيش كله، جعل بهيمسينا عربةَ الملك باهليكا عاجزةً في لمح البصر—فحرمها من خيولها وسائقها والعربة نفسها—مُظهِرًا بأسًا قتاليًا طاغيًا وسط الثقل الأخلاقي الجليل للحرب.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark demands of kṣatriya-dharma in battle: decisive action and mastery of arms can determine outcomes instantly, yet such prowess unfolds within the ethically weighty setting of fratricidal war, where victory carries moral and human cost.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīmasena, in full view of the assembled forces, neutralizes King Bāhlīka’s fighting capacity by stripping away the essential components of his war-chariot—horses, charioteer, and chariot—leaving him effectively dismounted and exposed.