Shloka 3
स ददर्श महात्मानं शरतल्पगतं तदा । जन्मशब्यागतं वीरं कार्तिकेयमिव प्रभुम्,उस समय उसने देखा, महात्मा भीष्म शरशय्यापर सो रहे हैं, ठीक उसी तरह जैसे वीरवर भगवान् कार्तिकेय जन्मकालमें शरशय्या (सरकण्डोंके बिछावन)-पर सोये थे
sa dadarśa mahātmānaṃ śaratālpagataṃ tadā | janmaśayyāgataṃ vīraṃ kārtikeyam iva prabhum ||
Sañjaya said: Then he beheld the great-souled Bhīṣma lying upon a bed of arrows—like the heroic Lord Kārtikeya, who at his birth was laid upon a reed-bed.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness in dharma: Bhīṣma, though grievously wounded, is portrayed with heroic composure and dignity, suggesting that inner resolve and fidelity to one’s vows can persist even amid extreme suffering and the ethical tragedy of war.
Sañjaya narrates that the observer (in context, the arriving party) sees Bhīṣma lying on the battlefield upon a bed of arrows. His appearance is compared to Lord Kārtikeya at birth resting on a reed-bed, elevating Bhīṣma’s martial stature and the solemnity of the moment.