Shloka 27
Daśame’hani Bhīṣma-yuddham — Śikhaṇḍī-rakṣaṇa, Arjuna-prabhāva, Duryodhana-āśraya-vākyam
भीष्मस्तु संहतः संख्ये धार्तराष्ट्री: ससैनिकैः
bhīṣmas tu saṁhataḥ saṅkhye dhārtarāṣṭrīḥ sa-sainikaiḥ
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Bhīṣma was pressed hard and hemmed in by the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra together with their troops—an image of the war’s grim irony, where loyalty to one’s side can place even the noblest warrior amid peril and moral strain.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of war: even a righteous and venerable figure like Bhīṣma can be endangered by the very side he serves, showing how allegiance and duty in a flawed cause can lead to suffering and moral complexity.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīṣma, amid the fighting, is closely engaged and hemmed in during the battle by the Kaurava party (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons) along with their troops.