Shloka 446
Irāvān-nidhana-anantaraṃ Ghaṭotkaca-nādaḥ
After Irāvān’s fall: Ghaṭotkaca’s roar and the clash with Duryodhana
वासुदेवमुवाचेदं कौन्तेय: श्वेतवाहन: । तदनन्तर हाथी, घोड़े और रथपर यात्रा करनेवाले करोड़ों राजाओंसे घिरे हुए भीष्म, जो युद्धमें देवताओंके लिये भी दुर्जय थे, आपके पुत्रोंको बचानेके लिये एकमात्र बालक महारथी अभिमन्युको लक्ष्य करके तीव्र वेगसे आगे बढ़े। उनको उस ओर जाते देख श्ैेतवाहन कुन्तीपुत्र अर्जुनने वसुदेवनन्दन भगवान् श्रीकृष्णसे इस प्रकार कहा --
sañjaya uvāca—vāsudevam uvācedaṃ kaunteyaḥ śvetavāhanaḥ | tadanantaraṃ hāthī-ghoḍe-rathapar yātrā-karṇavāle kroḍoṃ rājāoṃ se ghire hue bhīṣmaḥ, yo yuddha meṃ devatāoṃ ke liye bhī durjaya the, āpke putroṃ ko bacāne ke liye ekamātra bālaka mahārathī abhimanyuko lakṣya karke tīvravega se āge baḍhe | unko us or jātā dekh śvetavāhana kuntīputra arjun ne vāsudevanandana bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇ se is prakār kahā—
Sañjaya said: Then the son of Kunti, Arjuna of the white steeds, spoke these words to Vasudeva. Immediately thereafter Bhishma—surrounded by countless kings mounted on elephants, horses, and chariots, and formidable in battle even to the gods—surged forward at great speed, fixing his aim on the lone youthful maharatha Abhimanyu in order to protect your sons. Seeing Bhishma moving in that direction, Arjuna addressed Lord Krishna, the son of Vasudeva, in this manner.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the ethical tension of war: even a revered elder like Bhishma, acting out of duty and loyalty to protect the Kauravas, chooses a decisive tactical move against a single youthful champion. It also underscores Arjuna’s reliance on Krishna for counsel, showing that righteous action in battle is guided not only by strength but by discernment and alignment with dharma.
Bhishma, backed by vast forces, rushes forward to strike Abhimanyu—described as a lone young maharatha—so as to safeguard the Kaurava side. Seeing this, Arjuna (Shvetavahana) turns to Krishna (Vasudeva) and begins to speak, setting up Arjuna’s response to Bhishma’s move.