Shloka 46
भीष्मस्य अप्रतिमपराक्रमः — शिखण्डिपुरस्कृतः प्रहारः
Bhīṣma’s unmatched momentum and the assault with Śikhaṇḍin in the lead
हित्वा पार्थ रणे तूर्ण भीष्मस्य रथमाव्रजत् । अगाधे मज्जतस्तस्य द्वीपो भीष्मो5भवत् तदा
sañjaya uvāca | hitvā pārtha raṇe tūrṇaṁ bhīṣmasya ratham āvrajat | agādhe majjatas tasya dvīpo bhīṣmo 'bhavat tadā ||
Sañjaya dit : «Laissant Arjuna sur le champ de bataille, Duḥśāsana se hâta d’aller chercher refuge sur le char de Bhīṣma. En cet instant, pour Duḥśāsana—comme s’il sombrait dans une mer sans fond—Bhīṣma devint telle une île, un appui salvateur.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the metaphor of an island saving a drowning man to show how, in crisis, one seeks shelter under a stronger protector. Ethically, it also hints at the irony that those who act wrongly may still depend on elders and leaders for rescue, highlighting responsibility and the consequences that drive one to seek refuge.
Duḥśāsana, harassed and pressured by Arjuna in battle, withdraws from that engagement and hastens to Bhīṣma’s chariot for protection. Bhīṣma becomes his immediate support, like an island to someone sinking in a deep sea.