भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
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jānanti ca bhavanto 'pi sarvam etad yathātatham | arjunaḥ samare śūraḥ puraskṛtya śikhaṇḍinam ||
Bhīṣma said: “You all, too, know all this exactly as it is. Yet Arjuna—heroic in battle—advanced with Śikhaṇḍin placed in front.”
भीष्म उवाच
The verse highlights the tension between acknowledged truth and battlefield necessity: even when all parties understand the underlying facts, warriors may adopt strategies shaped by vows, constraints, and dharma—seeking victory while navigating moral limits.
Bhīṣma addresses the Kaurava side, noting that everyone knows the situation clearly, and describes how Arjuna approached in battle with Śikhaṇḍin positioned at the front—an arrangement central to confronting Bhīṣma, who would not fight Śikhaṇḍin.