Shloka 16
सप्तैते परमक्रुद्धा: किरीटिनमभिद्रुता: । तत्र शस्त्राणि दिव्यानि दर्शयन्तो महारथा:
saptaite paramakruddhāḥ kirīṭinam abhidrūtāḥ | tatra śastrāṇi divyāni darśayanto mahārathāḥ, atāḍayan raṇe bhīṣmaṃ sahitāḥ sarvasṛñjayāḥ |
Sanjaya said: Seven of those great chariot-warriors, inflamed with extreme wrath, rushed upon the diademed one (Arjuna). There, displaying their celestial weapons, all the Sṛñjayas together struck Bhīṣma in the battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical strain of war: even revered elders like Bhīṣma become targets when duty and factional allegiance harden into collective wrath. It underscores how martial excellence (divine weapons, mahārathas) can intensify conflict, raising questions about restraint and righteousness amid necessary kṣatriya action.
Sañjaya reports that seven furious great warriors rush toward Arjuna (the diademed). In the same battle scene, all the Sṛñjaya fighters together assail Bhīṣma, striking him while brandishing divine weapons.