Shloka 44
भीष्मधनंजयद्वैरथम्
Bhīṣma–Dhanaṃjaya Duel and the Opening Clash
अर्जुन: समरश्लाघी भीष्मस्यावारयद् दिश: । तदनन्तर युद्धकी श्लाघा रखनेवाले पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनने अच्छी तरह छोड़े हुए एक हजार बाणोंद्वारा भीष्मको सब ओरसे रोक दिया ।।
arjunaḥ samaraślāghī bhīṣmasyāvārayad diśaḥ | tadanantaraṃ yuddhakīrtiślāghārakṣaṇavāle pāṇḍunandana arjunena suṣṭhu muktaisahasraśarair bhīṣmo sarvataḥ paryavāryata || śarajālaṃ tatastat tu śarajālena māriṣa ||
Sañjaya said: “Arjuna, famed for his prowess in battle, checked Bhīṣma’s movements on every side. Thereafter, the son of Pāṇḍu—Arjuna—upholding his warrior’s renown, hemmed Bhīṣma in from all directions with a thousand well-released arrows, casting a net of shafts against Bhīṣma’s own shower of arrows.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights Kṣatriya-dharma: in a righteous war one must act with disciplined excellence and unwavering resolve, even against revered elders, without abandoning duty or composure.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna countering Bhīṣma’s assault by releasing a large volley—likened to a net of arrows—so that Bhīṣma is effectively checked and hemmed in on all sides.