Shloka 33
Adhyāya 112: Bhīṣma-prati Arjunasya Pravṛttiḥ
Arjuna’s Forward Drive Toward Bhīṣma
पज्चालानां च ये श्रेष्ठा राजपुत्रा महारथा: । तेषामादत्त तेजांसि जल सूर्य इवांशुभि:
pañcālānāṃ ca ye śreṣṭhā rājaputrā mahārathāḥ | teṣām ādatta tejāṃsi jalaṃ sūrya ivāṃśubhiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Et parmi les Pāñcālas, à ces princes d’élite—grands guerriers de char—Bhīṣma ravit l’éclat et l’ardeur du combat, comme le soleil, par ses rayons, boit les eaux de la terre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how tejas—martial brilliance, confidence, and commanding presence—can decide outcomes in war. Ethical context: in kṣatriya-dharma, steadfast prowess and discipline can break an opponent’s morale; victory is not only physical but also psychological.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma, on the battlefield, overwhelms the foremost Pāñcāla princes who are great chariot-warriors, draining their ‘tejas’—their fighting spirit and effectiveness—like the sun evaporating water with its rays.