Shloka 20
भीमसेन–अलायुधयुद्धम् / Bhīmasena and Alāyudha: Night Engagement and Command Responses
यो>हं रुधिरसिक्ताडूुं राज्ञां मध्ये पितामहम् । शयानं नाशकं त्रातुं भीष्ममायोधने हतम्,मेरे पितामह भीष्म राजाओंके बीच युद्धस्थलमें मारे गये और अब खूनसे लथपथ होकर बाणशबय्यापर पड़े हैं; परंतु मैं उनकी रक्षा न कर सका
yo 'haṁ rudhira-siktāṅgaṁ rājñāṁ madhye pitāmaham | śayānaṁ nāśakaṁ trātuṁ bhīṣmam āyodhane hatam ||
I could not protect Bhīṣma, my grandsire—slain in the battle—who, in the midst of kings, lies on his bed of arrows, his body drenched in blood.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical burden of leadership in war: when one initiates or sustains a conflict, one also bears responsibility for the suffering of elders and allies. Duryodhana’s inability to protect Bhīṣma becomes a moral indictment—honor in battle is not only victory but also the duty to safeguard those under one’s charge.
Duryodhana speaks in grief and self-reproach after Bhīṣma has been brought down in battle and lies bleeding on a bed of arrows amid the assembled kings. He confesses that he could not save his grandsire, underscoring the collapse of Kuru strength and the emotional shock of Bhīṣma’s fall.