Shloka 49
विधूय तान् बाणगणान् ये मुक्ता: पार्थिवोत्तमै: ४८ ।।
vidhūya tān bāṇagaṇān ye muktāḥ pārthivottamaiḥ | pāṇḍavānām adīnātma vyagāhat varūthinīm || cakre śaravighātaṃ ca krīḍann iva pitāmahaḥ |
Sañjaya said: Shaking off the volleys of arrows released by the foremost kings, Bhīṣma—undaunted in spirit—plunged into the Pandavas’ battle-array. There the grandsire, as though at play, began to shatter the warriors’ weapons and missiles with his own shafts, displaying mastery in war while remaining inwardly governed by restraint and remembrance of prior vows.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid righteous warfare, mastery is not merely force but disciplined restraint: Bhīṣma’s prowess is paired with an inner governance shaped by memory of vows and ethical limits, showing that dharma operates through self-control as much as through courage.
Bhīṣma brushes aside the arrows shot by leading warriors and boldly enters the Pandavas’ formation. He then disables their weapons and missiles with his own arrows, fighting with effortless skill, ‘as if playing,’ while remaining mindful of constraints that temper his actions.