Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
पुनश्चैनं शरैघोरिश्छादयामास भारत । निदाघान्ते महाराज यथा मेघो दिवाकरम्
sañjaya uvāca |
punaścainaṃ śaraiḥ ghoraḥ chādayāmāsa bhārata |
nidāghānte mahārāja yathā megho divākaram ||
হে ভারত! হে মহারাজ! তারপর সে আবার ভয়ংকর শরবৃষ্টিতে তাকে আচ্ছন্ন করল—যেমন গ্রীষ্মের শেষে মেঘ সূর্যকে ঢেকে দেয়।
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights endurance under overwhelming pressure: in righteous warfare (kṣatriya-dharma), a warrior may be ‘eclipsed’ by adversity, yet the ethical demand is steadiness and continued resolve rather than collapse or panic.
Sañjaya reports that a fierce fighter again showers Sātyaki with terrible arrows, enveloping him—likened to a cloud covering the sun at the end of summer—signaling an intense phase of the battle where one combatant temporarily dominates.