Shloka 4
Adhyāya 108 — Nimitta-darśana and Drona’s counsel amid Arjuna’s advance (निमित्तदर्शनं द्रोणोपदेशश्च)
रक्ष्यममाणो हि समरे भीष्मो5स्माकं पितामह: । निहन्यात् समरे यत्तान् पज्चालान् पाण्डवै:ः सह
sañjaya uvāca | rakṣyamāṇo hi samare bhīṣmo 'smākaṃ pitāmahaḥ | nihanyāt samare yattān pāñcālān pāṇḍavaiḥ saha |
Sañjaya said: “Indeed, if Bhīṣma—our grandsire—is protected in battle, then on the battlefield he will strike down those Pāñcālas together with the Pāṇḍavas, who are striving for victory.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a wartime ethic of protecting a key leader: safeguarding a powerful elder-warrior is presented as decisive for victory. It also implicitly raises the moral tension of relying on overwhelming force—victory is pursued through protection and coordinated violence rather than through reconciliation.
Sañjaya reports counsel from the Kaurava side: if Bhīṣma is kept safe on the battlefield, he can destroy the Pāñcālas along with the Pāṇḍavas who are pressing for victory. The focus is tactical—ensuring Bhīṣma’s protection to enable his dominance in combat.