Shloka 13
भीष्मवधोपाय-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into the means to overcome Bhīṣma) | Chapter 103
हेमपृष्ठं धनुश्चास्य ददृशे विचरद् दिशः । तोयदेषु यथा राजन् राजमाना शतह्ृददा
hemapiṣṭhaṃ dhanuś cāsya dadṛśe vicarad diśaḥ | toyadeṣu yathā rājan rājamānā śatahr̥dā ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ô Roi, j’aperçus son arc, au dos d’or et rayonnant, se mouvant vers toutes les directions. Il luisait comme l’éclair qui jaillit au milieu des nuées de pluie : image de splendeur guerrière qui accroît l’effroi admiratif et la tension morale du combat, où l’éclat et la prouesse se heurtent au prix tragique de la guerre.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how martial excellence and outward brilliance can inspire awe, yet in the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame such splendor is inseparable from the grave moral weight of warfare; it invites reflection on kṣatriya duty performed amid inevitable suffering.
Sañjaya reports to the king what he sees on the battlefield: a warrior’s gold-backed bow moving across the field and shining like lightning in rain-clouds, emphasizing speed, radiance, and the heightened intensity of combat.