Shloka 68
जैसे प्रजजलित अग्नि वायुका सहारा पाकर घास-फूँसके जंगलमें विचरती है, इसी प्रकार दिव्यास्त्रोंका प्रयोग करते हुए भीष्मजी भी शत्रुसेनामें प्रज्वलित हो रहे थे ।।
sañjaya uvāca | yathā prajvalito 'gnir vāyunā sahāyaṃ prāpya tṛṇa-gulma-vaneṣu vicarati, evam divyāstrāṇi prayuñjāno bhīṣmo 'pi śatru-senāsu prajvalamāna iva babhūva | somakāṃś ca raṇe bhīṣmo jaghne pārtha-padānugān | nyavārayat tat sainyaṃ pāṇḍavasya mahārathaḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: Como un fuego abrasador que, al hallar el amparo del viento, recorre matorrales de hierba y maleza, así también Bhīṣma—aunque empleaba armas celestiales—parecía arder en medio de las filas enemigas. En la batalla abatió a los Somakas que seguían la huella de Arjuna, y aquel gran guerrero de carro detuvo asimismo el avance del ejército de los Pāṇḍava.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the terrifying momentum of martial power when supported by enabling conditions—like fire driven by wind—while also hinting at the ethical tension of war: even a righteous, disciplined warrior’s prowess can become all-consuming on the battlefield, demanding vigilance about how power is directed.
Sanjaya describes Bhishma’s onslaught: he appears like a wind-fed conflagration as he employs celestial weapons, strikes the Somakas aligned with Arjuna’s advance, and halts the forward movement of the Pandava forces.