Shloka 44
भीष्मवधोपाय-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into the means to overcome Bhīṣma) | Chapter 103
सो&तिविद्धो महाराज मुहूर्तमथ मारिष । प्रविवेश तमो दीर्घ पीडितस्तैर्महारथै:,महाराज! उन महारथियोंके बाणोंसे अत्यन्त आहत और पीड़ित हो अलम्बुष दो घड़ीतक भारी मोह (मूर्च्छा)-में डूबा रहा
so ’tividdho mahārāja muhūrtam atha māriṣa | praviveśa tamo dīrghaṃ pīḍitas tair mahārathaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, struck again and again by the arrows of those great chariot-warriors and grievously tormented, Alambuṣa sank for a while into deep darkness—overcome by stupor and loss of consciousness. Thus in war even the renowned are brought low by pain and shock, and the body’s limits interrupt pride and prowess.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of the human body amid warfare: even celebrated warriors can be overwhelmed by pain and shock. It implicitly cautions against arrogance in power and reminds the listener that martial glory is inseparable from suffering and bodily limitation.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Alambuṣa, struck repeatedly by the arrows of powerful warriors, becomes severely afflicted and falls into a dark stupor—effectively fainting for a short time on the battlefield.