Shloka 21
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
तद् युद्धमासीत् सुमहत् तयोस्तत्र समागमे । यदाभ्यधावद् गाड़ेयं शिखण्डी शत्रुकर्शन:,जब शत्रुसूदन शिखण्डीने गंगानन्दन भीष्मपर धावा किया था, उस समय उन दोनों (अभिमन्यु और सुदक्षिण)-के संघर्षमें वहाँ बड़ा भारी युद्ध आरम्भ हो गया
tad yuddham āsīt sumahat tayos tatra samāgame | yadābhyadhāvad gāṅgeyaṃ śikhaṇḍī śatrukarśanaḥ ||
Dijo Sañjaya: En el mismo encuentro de ambos ejércitos, estalló una batalla inmensa—justo cuando Śikhaṇḍī, el quebrantador de enemigos, se lanzó de frente contra Bhīṣma, el hijo del Gaṅgā.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how pivotal actions by principal warriors can unleash large-scale consequences in war, intensifying both strategic pressure and ethical tension—especially when the target is a figure like Bhīṣma, bound by vows and dharma yet caught in a catastrophic conflict.
Sañjaya reports that a massive fight erupted at the encounter of the two sides precisely when Śikhaṇḍī rushed to attack Bhīṣma (Gāṅgeya), signaling a major escalation on the battlefield.