Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 35
ललाटस्थैस्तु तैर्बाणै: शुशुभे पाण्डवो रणे | यथा मेरुर्महाराज शज्ैरत्यर्थमुच्छितै:
sañjaya uvāca | lalāṭasthais tu tair bāṇaiḥ śuśubhe pāṇḍavo raṇe | yathā merur mahārāja śṛṅgair atyartham ucchitaiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Avec ces flèches fichées dans son front, le fils de Pāṇḍu resplendissait sur le champ de bataille. Ô grand roi, il semblait le mont Meru, magnifique de ses sommets démesurément élevés—ses blessures devenant, selon l’éthique du guerrier inébranlable, les marques d’une résolution intacte au cœur du fracas des armes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfast courage: even when visibly wounded, a righteous warrior does not lose composure, and endurance itself becomes a kind of splendor—strength directed toward one’s duty in the midst of conflict.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna in the thick of battle, with arrows stuck in his forehead, yet still radiant and formidable. He uses a simile: Arjuna’s appearance is compared to Mount Meru adorned with towering peaks.