Shloka 84
महारथं भारत दुष्प्रकम्पं शरौधिणं प्रतपन्तं नरेन्द्रान् । भीष्म न शेकुः प्रतिवीक्षितुं ते शरार्चिषं सूर्यमिवातपन्तम्,भारत! महारथी भीष्म अविचलभावसे खड़े होकर बाणोंकी वर्षा करते और पाण्डव- पक्षीय नरेशोंको संताप देते थे। बाणरूपी किरणावलियोंसे सुशोभित और सूर्यकी भाँति तपते हुए भीष्मकी ओर वे देख भी नहीं पाते थे
mahārathaṃ bhārata duṣprakampaṃ śaraughiṇaṃ pratapantaṃ narendrān | bhīṣma na śekuḥ prativīkṣituṃ te śarārcīṣaṃ sūryam ivātapantam, bhārata!
Sañjaya said: O Bhārata, Bhīṣma—the unshakable great chariot-warrior—stood firm and poured forth a torrent of arrows, scorching the kings aligned with the Pāṇḍavas. Blazing like the sun and wreathed in rays of arrows, he was so formidable that they could not even bear to look upon him.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overwhelming force of steadfast resolve and mastery in one’s duty (kṣatriya-dharma). At the same time, it gestures toward the ethical complexity of the Mahābhārata: even a venerable, principled elder like Bhīṣma can become an instrument of devastation when bound by vows and loyalties in a civil war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma stands firm on the battlefield, releasing dense volleys of arrows that torment the Pāṇḍava-aligned kings. Bhīṣma appears radiant and unbearable to face—likened to the blazing sun—so that opponents cannot even look directly at him.