Shloka 476
भीष्मधनंजयद्वैरथम्
Bhīṣma–Dhanaṃjaya Duel and the Opening Clash
गाड़ेयशरनुन्नानि प्रापतन्त महीतले । इसी प्रकार अर्जुनके छोड़े हुए बाणसमूह गंगानन्दन भीष्मके बाणोंसे छिन्न-भिन्न हो पृथ्वीपर सब ओर पड़े हुए थे
gāḍeyaśaranunnāni prāpatanta mahītale |
Sañjaya said: The arrows, driven and struck down by Gāṅgeya’s shafts, fell upon the earth. Thus, the volleys released by Arjuna were shattered by the arrows of Bhīṣma, the son of the Gaṅgā, and lay scattered on the ground in every direction—showing the overwhelming mastery of the elder warrior amid the relentless ethics of battlefield duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma in practice: even the greatest heroes meet resistance, and excellence in duty (here, martial mastery) manifests as steadfast performance amid conflict, without personal malice—war as a grim arena of obligation and skill.
Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma’s counterattack: the arrows shot by Arjuna are cut apart by Bhīṣma’s shafts and fall scattered across the ground, highlighting Bhīṣma’s dominance in that exchange.