Shloka 28
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
तत: शरसहस्रेण सौभद्रं प्रपितामह: । अवाकिरदमेयात्मा तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्,तब अमेय आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न प्रपितामह भीष्मने सुभद्राकुमारपर हजारों बाणोंकी वर्षा की। वह एक अद्भुत-सी घटना प्रतीत हुई
tataḥ śarasahasreṇa saubhadraṁ prapitāmahaḥ | avākirad ameyātmā tad adbhutam ivābhavat |
Sañjaya said: “Then the Grandsire Bhīṣma, whose spirit and prowess were immeasurable, showered Abhimanyu—the son of Subhadrā—with thousands of arrows. The spectacle appeared almost wondrous, even amid the grim ethics of battle where valor is tested through overwhelming force.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its stark form: in war, excellence and resolve are measured under extreme pressure. It also implies that extraordinary skill can make even violent action appear ‘adbhuta’ (awe-inspiring), reminding the reader to distinguish aesthetic marvel from moral cost.
Sañjaya narrates that Bhīṣma, the Kuru grandsire, attacks Abhimanyu (Saubhadra) by raining thousands of arrows upon him, creating a striking and astonishing battlefield scene.