Shloka 3
शरै: कनकपुड्खैश्न शक्तितोमरकम्पनै: । नाराचैर्वत्सदन्तैश्व भुशुण्डीभिश्नल सर्वशः
sañjaya uvāca | śaraiḥ kanakapudkhaiś ca śaktitomarakaṃpanaiḥ | nārācair vatsadantaiś ca bhuśuṇḍībhiś ca sarvaśaḥ | atāḍayan raṇe bhīṣmaṃ sahitāḥ sarvasṛñjayāḥ |
Sanjaya sprach: Vereint schlugen alle Sṛñjayas Bhishma auf dem Schlachtfeld von allen Seiten—sie bestürmten ihn mit Pfeilen mit goldenen Federn, mit Śakti- und Tomara-Speeren, mit der Waffe namens Kampana, mit Nārāca- und den sogenannten „Kalbzahn“-Schäften sowie mit Bhuśuṇḍīs und anderem.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim dharmic tension of war: even a venerable elder like Bhīṣma becomes a legitimate target when he stands as the chief defender of an unjust cause. It underscores kṣatriya-duty and collective resolve, while implicitly reminding the listener of the moral cost of violence against revered kin.
Sañjaya reports that the Sṛñjaya forces, acting in coordination, surround and strike Bhīṣma from all directions with many kinds of missiles and weapons—golden-fletched arrows, spears, heavy bolts, and other named arms—attempting to overwhelm him in battle.