Shloka 2
Adhyāya 112: Bhīṣma-prati Arjunasya Pravṛttiḥ
Arjuna’s Forward Drive Toward Bhīṣma
के5रक्षन् पाण्डवानीके शिखण्डिनमुदायुधा: । त्वरमाणास्त्वराकाले जिगीषन्तो महारथा:
ke rakṣan pāṇḍavānīke śikhaṇḍinam udāyudhāḥ | tvaramāṇās tvarākāle jigīṣanto mahārathāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “In the Pāṇḍava host, which great chariot-warriors, taking up their weapons, protected Śikhaṇḍin—hastening in that moment of urgency, eager for victory and displaying swift resolve amid the press of battle?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights battlefield dharma in practical terms: victory-seeking must be joined with disciplined coordination—protecting a key warrior (Śikhaṇḍin) becomes a collective duty of capable leaders, showing that success in war depends on responsibility, timing, and mutual protection rather than isolated valor.
Sañjaya asks to identify which Pāṇḍava-side mahārathas, armed and moving swiftly in a critical moment, formed the protective screen around Śikhaṇḍin—an important tactical figure in the confrontation with Bhīṣma.