Shloka 29
Bhīṣma’s Fall, the Arrow-bed (śara-talpa), and the Establishment of Guard
रथनागहयावर्ता महाघोरां सुदुर्गमाम् । रथेन संग्रामनदीं तरत्येष कपिध्वज:
sañjaya uvāca |
rathanāgahayāvartā mahāghorāṃ sudurgamām |
rathena saṅgrāmanadīṃ taratyeṣa kapidhvajaḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: «Este río de batalla es terriblemente pavoroso y difícil de cruzar; sus remolinos son carros, elefantes y caballos. Y, sin embargo, Kapidhvaja—Arjuna, cuyo estandarte lleva al mono—cruza ese río de guerra por medio de su carro, como si fuera una barca.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames war as a perilous river whose dangers are the very instruments of combat; it highlights steadfast courage and disciplined agency—crossing danger through skill, resolve, and rightful kṣatriya duty rather than being swept away by fear.
Sañjaya, narrating the battlefield to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, depicts Arjuna (Kapidhvaja) advancing through the terrifying press of battle, using the chariot as the means to ‘cross’ the war-river filled with swirling threats of chariots, elephants, and horses.