Shloka 53
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
(भीष्मो5तीव सुसंक्रुद्ध: पृषत्कैरर्जुनं बलात् । जघान समरे मुर्ध्नि सिंहवद् विनदन् मुहुः ।।
sañjaya uvāca | bhīṣmo 'tīva susaṃkruddhaḥ pṛṣatkair arjunaṃ balāt jaghāna samare mūrdhni siṃhavad vinadan muhuḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Bhīṣma, en proie à une colère extrême, frappa Arjuna dans la bataille de ses flèches, l’atteignant violemment à la tête. Puis, à maintes reprises, il rugit comme un lion. Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa), voyant la douceur du combat de Pārtha (Arjuna)—sa retenue envers le vénérable Pitāmaha—et Bhīṣma, debout au centre de l’armée, déversant sans relâche des pluies de traits, brûlant tel le soleil de midi, abattant les meilleurs guerriers des Pāṇḍava et faisant surgir dans les rangs de Yudhiṣṭhira un spectacle semblable à la dissolution du monde.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in a dharma-yuddha setting, personal affection and reverence—though virtuous in ordinary life—can become a dangerous softness if they obstruct one’s rightful duty. Bhīṣma’s unwavering martial resolve contrasts with Arjuna’s hesitation, pressing the ethical point that duty must be performed with steadiness when the situation demands it.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīṣma, fighting fiercely, showers Arjuna with arrows and even strikes his head. After landing these blows, Bhīṣma repeatedly roars like a lion, signaling dominance and intensifying the terror and momentum of the battle.