Shloka 14
ततो भीष्मो महास्त्राणि पातयामास भारत । मोहयन् पाण्दुपुत्राणां व्यूढं सैन्यं महाहवे,भारत! तब उस महासमरमें पाण्डवोंकी उस व्यूहबद्ध सेनाको मोहित करते हुए भीष्म उसपर बड़े-बड़े अस्त्रोंका प्रयोग करने लगे
tato bhīṣmo mahāstrāṇi pātayāmāsa bhārata | mohayan pāṇḍuputrāṇāṁ vyūḍhaṁ sainyaṁ mahāhave ||
Sañjaya said: Then Bhīṣma, O descendant of Bharata, began to rain down mighty weapons; in that great battle he bewildered the sons of Pāṇḍu and struck their army even as it stood arrayed in formation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary power in war (mahāstras) can overwhelm even a well-ordered force, reminding readers that martial prowess and strategy intensify the conflict’s ethical weight: victory achieved through superior force still carries the burden of harm and responsibility.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīṣma, leading the Kaurava side, begins deploying powerful weapons, confounding the Pāṇḍavas’ troops even though they are arranged in a formal battle formation (vyūha) during the great Kurukṣetra fight.