Shloka 46
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
त एनं शरवर्षेण समन्तात् पर्यवारयन् | गजं च शरवृष्ट्या तु बिभिदुस्ते समन््तत:
te enaṁ śaravarṣeṇa samantāt paryavārayan | gajaṁ ca śaravṛṣṭyā tu bibhidus te samantataḥ ||
তাঁরা চারদিক থেকে তীরবর্ষণ করে তাকে ঘিরে রোধ করলেন; এবং সেই শরবৃষ্টিতেই তাঁর হাতিটিকেও সর্বদিক থেকে বিদ্ধ করলেন।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in a dharma-framed war, warriors often respond to overwhelming force with coordinated resistance. Ethically, it raises the tension between necessary martial duty (checking a dangerous opponent) and the tragic escalation of harm, extending even to mounts like the elephant.
A group of warriors surrounds a key fighter with a dense rain of arrows, effectively blocking him from all sides; in the same barrage they also wound and pierce the elephant he is associated with, indicating an intense attempt to neutralize the threat by targeting both combatant and mount.