Shloka 18
Adhyāya 111 (Book 6): Daśama-dina-saṃgrāma—Bhīṣma’s Counsel to Yudhiṣṭhira and the Śikhaṇḍin-Led Advance
अर्जुनप्रमुखा: पार्था: पुरस्कृत्य शिखण्डिनम् । भीष्म युद्धे3 भ्यवर्तन्त किरन्तो विविधाउछरान्
arjunapramukhāḥ pārthāḥ puraskṛtya śikhaṇḍinam | bhīṣmaṃ yuddhe ’bhyavartanta kiranto vividhauṣarān ||
Sañjaya dit : «Arjuna en tête, les fils de Pṛthā s’avancèrent au combat contre Bhīṣma, plaçant Śikhaṇḍin devant eux et déversant une pluie de flèches de toutes sortes.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how dharma in war is not only about valor but also about vows, restraint, and moral constraints. Bhīṣma’s personal code affects what he will or will not do, and the Pāṇḍavas’ strategy leverages that ethical boundary—showing that inner principles can decisively shape outer outcomes.
Sañjaya narrates that the Pāṇḍavas, led by Arjuna, advance toward Bhīṣma in battle. They place Śikhaṇḍin at the front and then unleash a heavy, varied volley of arrows as they press their attack on the grandsire.