Shloka 57
Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)
भीष्मे हते भृशं दुःखान्मन्ये शोचन्ति पुत्रका: । अद्विसारमयं नूनं हृदयं मम संजय
bhīṣme hate bhṛśaṃ duḥkhān manye śocanti putrakāḥ | advisāramayaṃ nūnaṃ hṛdayaṃ mama saṃjaya
قال دِهْرِتَرَاشْتْرَ: «وقد قُتل بهيشما، أظنّ أن أبنائي ينوحون في ألمٍ شديد. يا سَمْجَايَا، لا بدّ أن قلبي مصنوعٌ من شيءٍ لا صلابة فيه ولا قوة.»
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral psychology of attachment in war: when a pillar like Bhīṣma falls, even those committed to conflict are shaken. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s self-judgment—calling his heart ‘without firmness’—suggests the ethical cost of clinging to one’s side (putra-sneha) over dharma, producing inner weakness and anxiety.
After news that Bhīṣma has been struck down, Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks to Saṃjaya, inferring that his sons (the Kauravas) are overwhelmed with grief. He also confesses his own emotional instability, implying fear and sorrow at the collapse of their foremost protector and commander.