Shloka 8
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ७२: सैन्यगुणवर्णनम्, व्यूहरक्षा, दैव-पुरुषकारचिन्ता
अशोभत मुखे तस्य भीमसेनो महाबल: । नेत्रे शिखण्डी दुर्धर्षो धृष्टद्युम्नश्व॒ पार्षत:
sañjaya uvāca |
aśobhat mukhe tasya bhīmaseno mahābalaḥ |
etre śikhaṇḍī durdharṣo dhṛṣṭadyumnaś ca pārṣataḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: In jener Schlachtordnung glänzte der überaus starke Bhīmasena an der Spitze. An der Stelle der «Augen» standen der unbezwingbare Śikhaṇḍin und Dhṛṣṭadyumna, der Sohn des Pṛṣata, fest und unbeirrbar.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic warfare’s demand for disciplined organization and responsible leadership: strength (Bhīma) must be guided by clear vision and command (the ‘eyes’ as Śikhaṇḍin and Dhṛṣṭadyumna), so that power serves a principled objective rather than mere aggression.
Sañjaya describes the Pāṇḍavas forming the Śyena (hawk) battle-array. Bhīma stands at the front, while Śikhaṇḍin and Dhṛṣṭadyumna occupy the crucial forward positions likened to the formation’s eyes.