Shloka 426
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
धनंजयरथं शीघ्रं शरवर्षरवाकिरत् | तब बारंबार सिंहनाद करते हुए कुरुश्रेष्ठ भीष्मने धनंजयके रथपर शीघ्र ही बाणोंकी वर्षा आरम्भ कर दी
sañjaya uvāca | dhanañjaya-rathaṁ śīghraṁ śara-varṣa-ravākirat | tataḥ bāraṁbāraṁ siṁha-nādaṁ kurvan kuru-śreṣṭho bhīṣmaḥ dhanañjayasya rathe śīghram eva bāṇānāṁ varṣam ārabdhavān |
Sañjaya dit : Bhīṣma, le plus éminent des Kurus, rugissant à maintes reprises comme un lion, couvrit promptement le char de Dhanañjaya d’une pluie de flèches au fracas de tonnerre. Dans la fournaise du combat, l’assaut implacable du vieil héros manifeste la rude éthique de la guerre des kṣatriya : une résolution inflexible et la maîtrise des armes tendues vers la victoire, même contre un adversaire sans égal.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: steadfastness, disciplined aggression, and strategic skill in battle. Even revered elders like Bhishma act without hesitation when duty and allegiance demand it, illustrating how personal affection is subordinated to the obligations of one’s role in wartime.
Sanjaya describes Bhishma repeatedly giving a lion-like battle cry and unleashing a rapid, loud barrage of arrows that blankets Arjuna’s chariot, signaling an intense escalation in their confrontation on the battlefield.