Shloka 6
भीष्मरथाभिमुख्यं — Arjuna’s advance with Śikhaṇḍin; Duḥśāsana’s interception
तेन विद्धा महेष्वासा भीष्मेणामित्रकर्षिणा । चुक्रुधु: समरे राजन् पादस्पृष्टा इवोरगा:,राजन! शत्रुसूदन भीष्मके द्वारा घायल हुए वे महाधनुर्धर वीर पैरोंसे कुचले हुए सर्पोंकी भाँति समरांगणमें अत्यन्त कुपित हो उठे
sañjaya uvāca | tena viddhā maheṣvāsā bhīṣmeṇāmitrakarṣiṇā | cukrudhuḥ samare rājan pādasparśṭā ivoragāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Struck by Bhīṣma—the mighty warrior who crushes the foe—those great bowmen blazed with wrath upon the battlefield, O King, like serpents trampled underfoot.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral-psychological truth within the war narrative: when powerful warriors are wounded and dishonored, anger surges and drives retaliation. It implicitly warns how krodha (wrath) rapidly escalates conflict, making the maintenance of dharma in battle more difficult.
Sañjaya reports to the king that Bhīṣma has struck certain great archers. Enraged by his blows, they react fiercely—likened to snakes that become dangerous when stepped on—signaling an intensification of the fighting around Bhīṣma.