Shloka 90
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! यह सब जानकर कुन्तीके सभी पुत्र कुरुकुलके वृद्ध पितामह महात्मा भीष्मको प्रणाम करके अपने शिविरकी ओर चले गये ।।
sañjaya uvāca—rājan! etat sarvaṁ jñātvā kuntī-putrāḥ sarve kuru-kula-vṛddhaṁ pitāmahaṁ mahātmānaṁ bhīṣmaṁ praṇamya sva-śibiraṁ jagmuḥ. tathokte gāṅgeye paralokāya dīkṣite, arjuno duḥkha-santaptaḥ sa-trīḍam idaṁ abravīt—
Sañjaya said: “O King! Having understood all this, all the sons of Kuntī bowed to the aged grandsire of the Kuru line, the great-souled Bhīṣma, and then returned to their own camp. When the son of the Gaṅgā, Bhīṣma—already consecrated for his departure to the next world—had spoken thus, Arjuna, scorched by grief and filled with shame, addressed these words to Śrī Kṛṣṇa.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war, dharma requires honoring elders and acknowledging moral weight. Arjuna’s grief and shame signal ethical self-scrutiny: victory and duty do not erase the sorrow of harming revered kin, and guidance must be sought from a higher moral compass (here, Krishna).
After hearing Bhishma’s words, the Pandavas respectfully bow to him and return to their camp. Bhishma is portrayed as spiritually prepared for death. Arjuna, overwhelmed by sorrow and embarrassment, turns to Krishna and begins to speak.