Shloka 15
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
अकरोत् स महाबाहु: सर्वशस्त्रभूतां वर: । ध्वजाएँ काटकर उन्होंने रथसमूहोंको मुण्डित ताल-वनोंके समान कर दिया। राजन! युद्धस्थलमें समस्त शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ महाबाहु भीष्मने बहुत-से रथों, हाथियों और घोड़ोंको मनुष्योंसे रहित कर दिया ।।
sañjaya uvāca | akarot sa mahābāhuḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ | dhvajāṃś ca chittvā rathasaṃghān muṇḍitān tālavanopamān akarot | rājann yuddhasthale samastaśastradhāriṇāṃ śreṣṭho mahābāhur bhīṣmo bahūn rathān hastinaś ca hayāṃś ca manuṣyair rahitān cakāra || tasya jyātalanirghoṣaṃ visphūrjitam ivāśaneḥ | śrutvā taṃ sarvabhūtāni kampante bhārata | bhīṣmasya bāṇā na kadācit riktaṃ yānti ||
Sañjaya dit : Bhīṣma, aux bras puissants, le premier parmi tous ceux qui portent les armes, abattit les étendards et fit paraître la masse des chars comme un bosquet de palmiers dont on aurait tranché les cimes. Ô roi, sur le champ de bataille, ce héros aux grands bras—le meilleur des guerriers armés—laissa bien des chars, des éléphants et des chevaux privés de leurs conducteurs. Le claquement de la corde de son arc retentissait comme le tonnerre de la foudre ; à l’entendre, toutes les créatures frémissaient, ô Bhārata. Les flèches de Bhīṣma, une fois décochées, ne partaient jamais en pure perte.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the awe-inspiring force of a great warrior and the grave consequences of war: skill and power, when aligned with kṣatriya-duty, can still generate fear and widespread suffering—reminding the listener that martial excellence carries ethical weight and responsibility.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma is dominating the battlefield—cutting down chariot standards, disabling many chariots, elephants, and horses by removing their riders, and terrifying all beings with the thunder-like twang of his bow; his arrows consistently strike their targets.