Shloka 76
पज्चालानां ददौ हर्ष भीष्म: कुरुपितामह: । संजयने कहा--महाराज! कुरुकुलवृद्ध पितामह भीष्म सायंकालमें जब रणभूमिमें गिरे, उस समय उन्होंने आपके पुत्रोंको बड़े विषादमें डाल दिया और पांचालोंको हर्ष मनानेका अवसर दे दिया
pañcālānāṁ dadau harṣaṁ bhīṣmaḥ kurupitāmahaḥ |
Sañjaya said: “The grandsire of the Kurus, Bhīṣma, became the cause of joy for the Pāñcālas.” (In context, this points to the moment Bhīṣma fell on the battlefield, plunging the Kauravas into grief while giving the Pāñcālas and their allies reason to rejoice—an ethically complex turn where victory and sorrow arise from the same event.)
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral ambiguity of war: the fall of a single great warrior can simultaneously generate joy for one side and deep sorrow for the other, reminding readers that battlefield outcomes are ethically charged and emotionally costly, even when they advance a cause perceived as righteous.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīṣma, the revered Kuru grandsire, became the cause of joy for the Pāñcālas—understood in context as occurring when Bhīṣma was brought down in battle, shifting morale: the Kauravas were shaken and the opposing camp found renewed confidence.