Shloka 13
ततः किरीटी संरब्धो भीष्ममेवाभ्यधावत
tataḥ kirīṭī saṃrabdho bhīṣmam evābhyadhāvat | atāḍayan raṇe bhīṣmaṃ sahitāḥ sarvasṛñjayāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Arjuna, the diademed hero, inflamed with resolve, rushed straight at Bhīṣma. And all the Sṛñjaya warriors, united together, struck Bhīṣma on the battlefield from every side, seeking to harass and press him hard in the fury of war. The scene underscores the grim ethic of kṣatriya combat: concentrated force is marshalled to check an invincible elder, even as reverence and duty collide amid the necessities of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension within kṣatriya-dharma: even revered elders like Bhīṣma become legitimate targets when they stand as the chief obstacle in a righteous war. Collective action and disciplined resolve are portrayed as necessary to restrain overwhelming power, while the ethical weight of fighting one’s own kin remains implicit.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna, stirred to action, charges directly at Bhīṣma. Simultaneously, the Sṛñjaya forces unite and attack Bhīṣma from all sides on the battlefield, attempting to pressure and weaken him through coordinated assault.