Shloka 42
एते चान्ये च बहव: पीडिता भीष्मसायकै: । समुद्धृता: फाल्गुनेन निमग्ना: शोकसागरे
ete cānye ca bahavaḥ pīḍitā bhīṣmasāyakaiḥ | samuddhṛtāḥ phālgunena nimagnāḥ śokasāgare ||
Sañjaya said: “These and many others, tormented by Bhīṣma’s arrows, were sinking into an ocean of grief; but Phālguna (Arjuna) lifted them out.” The verse frames Arjuna’s intervention not merely as tactical rescue but as a moral restoration of courage and order amid the crushing despair produced by Bhīṣma’s overwhelming prowess.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a righteous war, despair can overwhelm the mind like an ‘ocean of grief’; dharmic leadership is shown by restoring others—protecting allies, reviving morale, and re-establishing order against fear and confusion.
Bhīṣma’s fierce archery is crushing the Pāṇḍava side, leaving many fighters wounded and psychologically overwhelmed; Arjuna (Phālguna) counters effectively and ‘rescues’ them—both by shielding them from Bhīṣma’s attack and by turning the tide so they do not collapse in grief.