Shloka 55
Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)
परासक्ते च वस्तस्मिन् कथमासीन्मनस्तदा । जैसे ग्वालेके बिना गौओंका समुदाय इधर-उधर भटकता फिरता है
jīvite 'py adya sāmarthyaṃ kim ivāsmāsu sañjaya |
قال دِهرتراشترا: «يا سَنْجَيا، وإن كنّا أحياء اليوم، فأيُّ قوةٍ بقيت فينا؟ لقد تسبّبنا في مقتل أبينا بهيشما في ساحة القتال—وهو المشهور في العالم بالتقوى والالتزام بالدَّرْمَا وبعظيم البأس—فغرقنا في الحزن، كمسافرين يتوقون إلى العبور، فيصيبهم الأسى حين يرون زورقهم غارقًا في مياهٍ عميقةٍ لا قرار لها.»
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how moral and strategic ruin can persist even in physical survival: when one’s actions destroy the very pillar of righteousness and protection (Bhīṣma), the remaining ‘life’ feels powerless. It underscores the ethical consequence of wrongdoing—strength is not merely bodily or numerical, but rooted in dharma, wise leadership, and inner steadiness.
After Bhīṣma has been brought down in the war, Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya in despair. He reflects that, despite being alive, the Kauravas have lost their effective power and morale because Bhīṣma—celebrated for righteousness and valor—has fallen, leaving them overwhelmed by grief like travelers who see their only means of crossing (a boat) sink in deep waters.