Shloka 45
भीष्मस्य अप्रतिमपराक्रमः — शिखण्डिपुरस्कृतः प्रहारः
Bhīṣma’s unmatched momentum and the assault with Śikhaṇḍin in the lead
यथा हंसा महाराज तडागं प्राप्प भारत । महाराज! भरतनन्दन! जैसे हंस तालाबमें पहुँचकर उसके भीतर गोते लगाते हैं, उसी प्रकार वे बाण महामना दुःशासनके शरीरमें धँस गये ।।
sañjaya uvāca | yathā haṃsā mahārāja taḍāgaṃ prāpya bhārata | majjanti salile yadvad evaṃ te bāṇā mahāmanā duḥśāsanasya śarīre nyapatanta | pīḍitaś caiva putras te pāṇḍavena mahātmanā | arjunaṃ vihāya sahasā bhīṣmasya ratham āruroha | tasmin kāle duḥśāsanāya nimagnāya agādhe sāgare bhīṣmo dvīpa ivābhavat ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ô grand roi, ô rejeton de Bharata — de même que les cygnes atteignent l’étang et plongent dans ses eaux, ainsi ces flèches s’enfoncèrent profondément dans le corps du magnanime Duḥśāsana. Tourmenté par Arjuna, le Pāṇḍava au grand cœur, ton fils Duḥśāsana abandonna Arjuna dans le combat et monta aussitôt sur le char de Bhīṣma. En cet instant, pour Duḥśāsana — tel un homme qui sombre dans un océan sans fond — Bhīṣma devint comme une île de refuge.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how, in the chaos of war, even proud warriors seek shelter when overwhelmed; it also frames Bhishma as a stabilizing protector—an ethical reminder that power and senior responsibility can become a refuge for those in संकट (distress), though the larger war remains adharma-laden.
Arjuna’s arrows pierce Duhshasana so deeply that he breaks off the engagement and quickly climbs onto Bhishma’s chariot; Bhishma is compared to an ‘island’ saving him from the ‘ocean’ of danger.