Shloka 26
Adhyāya 111 (Book 6): Daśama-dina-saṃgrāma—Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira and the Śikhaṇḍin-Led Advance
संजय उवाच आचक्षे ते महाराज यदकार्षीत् पिता तव । पीडिते तव पुत्रस्य सैन्ये पाण्डवसूंजयै:,संजयने कहा--महाराज! पाण्डवों तथा सूंजयों-द्वारा आपके पुत्रकी सेनाके पीड़ित होनेपर आपके ताऊ भीष्मने जो कुछ किया था, वह सब आपको बता रहा हूँ
sañjaya uvāca | ācakṣe te mahārāja yad akārṣīt pitā tava | pīḍite tava putrasya sainye pāṇḍavasūñjayaiḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: «Oh gran rey, te relataré lo que hizo tu venerable mayor, Bhīṣma, cuando el ejército de tu hijo era duramente hostigado por los Pāṇḍavas y los Sṛñjayas».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds responsible leadership under pressure: when one’s side is distressed in conflict, the conduct of elders and commanders becomes ethically significant. It also highlights truthful reporting—Sanjaya’s duty is to narrate events clearly to the king, enabling reflection on choices and consequences.
Sanjaya begins to describe to King Dhritarashtra what Bhishma did at a moment when Duryodhana’s army was being severely pressed by the Pandavas and their allies, the Sṛñjayas. This serves as a transition into an account of Bhishma’s tactical and martial response on the battlefield.