Shloka 25
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले नरेश! राजा विराटने संग्राममें शोभा पानेवाले प्रयत्नशील एवं महाधनुर्धर अश्वत्थामाको भल्ल नामक दस बाणोंसे घायल किया ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
śatrūṇāṃ santāpa-dena-vāle nareśa! rājā virāṭaḥ saṅgrāme śobhā-pāna-vāle prayatnaśīlaṃ mahā-dhanu-dharaṃ aśvatthāmānaṃ bhalla-nāmabhiḥ daśabhiḥ bāṇaiḥ kṣataṃ cakāra ||
drupadaś ca tribhir bāṇa-vivyātha niśitais tadā |
guru-putraṃ samāsādya praharan tau mahā-balau |
tataḥ aśvatthāmā anekaiḥ bāṇaiḥ tau ubhau mahā-balau viddhvā virāṭa-drupadau vīrau bhīṣma-vadhaṃ prati udyatau babhūvatuḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Ô roi qui fais souffrir tes ennemis ! Dans la bataille, le roi Virāṭa—en quête de gloire et luttant avec ardeur—blessa le puissant archer Aśvatthāmā de dix flèches dites bhalla. Puis Drupada, s’approchant du fils du précepteur, le frappa de trois flèches acérées. Tandis que ces deux rois, pleins de force, poursuivaient leur assaut, Aśvatthāmā les perça tous deux, en retour, de nombreuses flèches. Virāṭa et Drupada, vaillants guerriers, étaient résolus à abattre Bhīṣma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kshatriya world of reciprocal violence: even righteous kings, seeking strategic advantage and battlefield glory, become firmly resolved to kill. It implicitly raises the ethical tension between duty in war and the grave karmic weight of lethal intent.
Virata wounds Ashvatthama with ten bhalla arrows; Drupada also pierces him with three sharp arrows. Ashvatthama retaliates by piercing both kings with many arrows. Virata and Drupada are portrayed as determined to bring about Bhishma’s death.