Shloka 786
ताडयामास निशितै: शरसंघै: समन्ततः । रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ श्वेतको रथहीन हुआ देख पितामह भीष्मने चारों ओरसे पैने बाणसमूहोंद्वारा उन्हें पीड़ा देनी प्रारम्भ की
sañjaya uvāca | tāḍayāmāsa niśitaiḥ śarasaṅghaiḥ samantataḥ | rathiyāṃ me śreṣṭhaṃ śvetakaṃ rathahīnaṃ huā dekh pitāmaha bhīṣmane cāroṃ orase painē bāṇasamūhoṃdvārā unheṃ pīḍā denī prārambha kī |
Dijo Sañjaya: Al ver a Śveta—el mejor entre los guerreros de carro—quedarse sin carro, el venerable Bhīṣma comenzó a acosarlo por todos lados con densas andanadas de flechas agudas, apremiándolo con dolor y peligro en medio de la batalla.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the uncompromising force of battlefield duty (kṣatriya-dharma): in war, a warrior must act decisively, and lapses in protection or preparedness can invite immediate danger. It also invites reflection on the ethical tension between martial obligation and compassion when an opponent becomes vulnerable.
Sanjaya reports that Bhishma, noticing the warrior Shvetaka has become chariotless, surrounds him with volleys of sharp arrows, intensifying the attack from all directions.