Shloka 31
Adhyāya 112: Bhīṣma-prati Arjunasya Pravṛttiḥ
Arjuna’s Forward Drive Toward Bhīṣma
अनीकमध्ये तिष्ठन्तं गाड्ेयं भरतर्षभ । आशीविषमिव क़ुद्धं पाण्डवा: प्रत्यवारयन्,सेनाके मध्यभागमें स्थित हुए विषधर सर्पके समान कुपित भीष्मको पाण्डव सैनिक रोकने लगे
anīkamadhye tiṣṭhantaṃ gāḍeyaṃ bharatarṣabha | āśīviṣam iva kruddhaṃ pāṇḍavāḥ pratyavārayan ||
Sañjaya said: “O bull among the Bharatas, the Pāṇḍava warriors began to check Bhīṣma—standing in the very midst of the battle-array—who, enraged, was like a venomous serpent. In the press of war, they sought to restrain his destructive force and protect their own ranks.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unchecked wrath in war becomes indiscriminate and deadly—likened to a venomous serpent—while disciplined resistance and coordinated restraint are necessary to protect one’s forces and uphold martial duty without collapsing into chaos.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma stands in the center of the army formation, raging and dangerous; the Pāṇḍava fighters move to block and restrain his advance, attempting to contain his impact on the battlefield.