Shloka 14
भीष्मस्य धनुषश्छेदं नामृष्यन्त महारथा:
sañjaya uvāca | bhīṣmasya dhanuṣaś chedaṃ nāmṛṣyanta mahārathāḥ, atāḍayan raṇe bhīṣmaṃ sahitāḥ sarvasṛñjayāḥ | abhipetur bhuśaṃ kruddhāś chādayantaś ca pāṇḍavam ||
Sañjaya dit : Ne pouvant supporter que l’arc de Bhīṣma eût été tranché, les grands guerriers de char—unis à tous les Sṛñjayas—assaillirent Bhīṣma dans la bataille. Puis, dans une colère farouche, ils se ruèrent en avant et, déployant leur prouesse, accablèrent le Pāṇḍava (Arjuna) de volées de flèches, voulant l’écraser de toutes parts.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring ethical tension in the epic: when honor is wounded (the cutting of Bhishma’s bow), warriors often respond with anger and escalation. It implicitly contrasts disciplined kṣatriya duty with impulsive retaliation, showing how wrath can drive collective violence.
After Bhishma’s bow is cut, elite fighters cannot tolerate the affront. They unite and intensify the battle—assailing Bhishma and then charging in anger to smother the Pāṇḍava hero (understood as Arjuna) with a dense shower of arrows.