Shloka 25
ततस्तु तावका: शूरा: पुरस्कृत्य महाव्रतम् । शिखण्डिप्रमुखान् पार्थान् योधयन्ति सम संयुगे
tatastu tāvakāḥ śūrāḥ puraskṛtya mahāvratam | śikhaṇḍipramukhān pārthān yodhayanti samaṃ yuge ||
Sañjaya dit : Puis les vaillants guerriers de ton camp, plaçant en tête Bhīṣma, l’homme au grand vœu, engagèrent un combat égal sur le champ de bataille contre les forces Pāṇḍava menées par Śikhaṇḍin.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how personal vows and moral stature (Bhīṣma as mahāvrata) become sources of legitimacy and cohesion in war, even when the conflict itself is ethically fraught. It suggests that leadership in dharmic literature is not merely tactical but also grounded in character, restraint, and publicly recognized commitments.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava warriors advance with Bhīṣma at their head and begin fighting the Pāṇḍava side, whose front is marked by Śikhaṇḍin and others. It situates the battle lines and signals the central confrontation involving Bhīṣma and the forces arrayed against him.