Shloka 24
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
विराटो दशभिर्भल्लैराजघान परंतप । यतमान महेष्वासं द्रौणिमाहवशोभिनम्
virāṭo daśabhir bhallair ājaghāna parantapa | yatamāna maheṣvāsaṃ drauṇim āhavaśobhinam ||
Sañjaya dit : Virāṭa, le fléau des ennemis, frappa le fils de Droṇa (Aśvatthāmā)—ce grand archer qui s’efforçait avec ardeur et rendait le champ de bataille éclatant—de dix flèches bhalla acérées.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the kṣatriya-world ethic that prowess invites counter-prowess: even a celebrated warrior who ‘shines in battle’ must face immediate consequences. Martial glory is portrayed as inseparable from risk, responsibility, and the relentless reciprocity of warfare.
Sañjaya reports that King Virāṭa hits Aśvatthāman (Droṇa’s son), a great archer actively striving in the fight, with ten bhalla-arrows, marking a forceful exchange in the ongoing battle.