Shloka 36
Adhyāya 112: Bhīṣma-prati Arjunasya Pravṛttiḥ
Arjuna’s Forward Drive Toward Bhīṣma
न चैनं पाण्डवेयानां केचिच्छेकुर्निरी क्षितुम् । उत्तरं मार्गमास्थाय तपन्तमिव भास्करम्,उत्तरायणका आश्रय लेकर तपते हुए सूर्यकी भाँति प्रतापी भीष्मकी ओर पाण्डवोंमेंसे कोई देखनेमें समर्थ न हो सके
na cainaṃ pāṇḍaveyānāṃ kecic chekur nirīkṣitum | uttaraṃ mārgam āsthāya tapantam iva bhāskaram ||
Sañjaya said: And none among the sons of the Pāṇḍus could even bear to look at him—Bhīṣma blazing with might like the sun in its northward course (uttarāyaṇa), scorching all who faced him.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical-psychological dimension of warfare: steadfast power and disciplined resolve can become so formidable that it breaks an opponent’s composure. It implicitly teaches that courage is not only physical but also the capacity to face overwhelming force without losing clarity.
Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma’s battlefield presence as intensely radiant and fearsome. The Pāṇḍavas, confronted with his blazing energy—likened to the sun moving northward—are portrayed as unable to even look directly at him.