Shloka 34
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
भीष्मेणातुलवीर्येण व्यशीर्यत सहस्रधा । इस प्रकार अतुल पराक्रमी भीष्मके द्वारा मारी जाती हुई धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरकी वह विशाल वाहिनी सहस्रों भागोंमें बिखर गयी ।। ३३ ह ।। प्राकम्पत महासेना शरवर्षेण तापिता
bhīṣmeṇātulavīryeṇa vyaśīryata sahasradhā | prākampata mahāsenā śaravarṣeṇa tāpitā ||
Sañjaya said: “Struck by Bhīṣma of incomparable might, that vast host was shattered into a thousand fragments. Scorched by his rain of arrows, the great army began to tremble.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the harsh moral tension of war: even when one side is associated with dharma, victory and survival depend on discipline, strategy, and resilience. Unchecked martial force can overwhelm righteous intent, reminding leaders that ethical aims still require practical preparedness and protection of one’s people.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma, displaying unmatched prowess, showers arrows upon the opposing host. The army—identified in the Hindi gloss as Yudhiṣṭhira’s vast force—breaks apart in many directions and begins to tremble under the intensity of the attack.