भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
वर्षता शरवर्षाणि संयुगे वैशसं कृतम्
varṣatā śaravarṣāṇi saṃyuge vaiśaṃsaṃ kṛtam
Sañjaya said: “As volleys of arrows rained down upon the battlefield, in the very thick of the fight a cruel and ruthless deed was done.”
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights how, amid the chaos of war, actions can slip into vaiśaṃsa—ruthless cruelty—implicitly warning that even in battle one must remain vigilant about ethical limits and the descent into adharma.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene: arrows are falling in dense volleys, and in that intense moment a cruel act is committed, setting a grim tone for the events being reported.