Shloka 11
त॑ तु छित्त्वा रणे भीष्मो नाराचं कालसम्मितम् | निजघ्ने कौरवेन्द्रस्य हयान् काड्चनभूषणान्,इस प्रकार रणभूमिमें कालके समान भयंकर उस नाराचको काटकर भीष्मने कौरवराज युधिष्ठिरके सुवर्णाभूषणोंसे युक्त घोड़ोंको मार डाला
taṁ tu chittvā raṇe bhīṣmo nārācaṁ kāla-sammitam | nijaghne kauravendrasya hayān kāñcana-bhūṣaṇān ||
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Bhīṣma cut down that arrow—terrible as Death itself—and then struck down the horses of the Kuru king (Yudhiṣṭhira), horses adorned with golden ornaments.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh logic of kṣatriya-dharma in war: duty and allegiance can compel even venerable figures like Bhīṣma to use decisive, disabling force. It also evokes Kāla (Time/Death) to stress the inevitability and terror of battle’s consequences.
Bhīṣma, fighting on the Kaurava side, cuts down a deadly nārāca arrow and then kills the horses of the Kuru king identified here with Yudhiṣṭhira—an act aimed at crippling the opponent’s chariot mobility and combat effectiveness.