Shloka 36
भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas
गाड़्ेयो भगदत्तश्न गौतमश्न महारथा: । पाण्डवं रभसं युद्धे वारयामासुरर्जुनम्,दूसरी ओर गंगानन्दन भीष्म, भगदत्त और कृपाचार्य--ये तीनों महारथी युद्धमें वेगसे आगे बढ़नेवाले पाण्डुकुमार अर्जुनका निवारण कर रहे थे
gāṅgeyo bhagadattaś ca gautamaś ca mahārathaḥ | pāṇḍavaṁ rabhasaṁ yuddhe vārayāmāsur arjunam ||
Sañjaya said: “On the other side, the great chariot-warriors—Bhīṣma, son of the Gaṅgā, Bhagadatta, and Gautama (Kṛpa)—checked Arjuna, the Pāṇḍava who was surging forward with fierce momentum in the battle.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethic of kṣatriya-duty in war: even when one advances with righteous resolve, opposing warriors—also bound by their own vows and loyalties—must resist. It frames battle as a clash of commitments, where restraint and counteraction arise from duty rather than personal malice.
As Arjuna presses forward aggressively in the fighting, three renowned Kaurava-side champions—Bhīṣma, Bhagadatta, and Kṛpa—move to block and restrain him, preventing his rapid advance.