Shloka 13
भीष्मवधोपाय-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into the means to overcome Bhīṣma) | Chapter 103
हेमपृष्ठं धनुश्चास्य ददृशे विचरद् दिशः । तोयदेषु यथा राजन् राजमाना शतह्ृददा
hemapiṣṭhaṃ dhanuś cāsya dadṛśe vicarad diśaḥ | toyadeṣu yathā rājan rājamānā śatahr̥dā ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, I beheld his bow—gold-backed and radiant—moving through all directions. It shone like lightning flashing amid rain-clouds, a vision of martial splendor that deepens the awe and the moral tension of battle, where brilliance and prowess stand against the tragic cost of war.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how martial excellence and outward brilliance can inspire awe, yet in the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame such splendor is inseparable from the grave moral weight of warfare; it invites reflection on kṣatriya duty performed amid inevitable suffering.
Sañjaya reports to the king what he sees on the battlefield: a warrior’s gold-backed bow moving across the field and shining like lightning in rain-clouds, emphasizing speed, radiance, and the heightened intensity of combat.