Shloka 28
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
तत: शरसहस्रेण सौभद्रं प्रपितामह: । अवाकिरदमेयात्मा तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्,तब अमेय आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न प्रपितामह भीष्मने सुभद्राकुमारपर हजारों बाणोंकी वर्षा की। वह एक अद्भुत-सी घटना प्रतीत हुई
tataḥ śarasahasreṇa saubhadraṁ prapitāmahaḥ | avākirad ameyātmā tad adbhutam ivābhavat |
Sañjaya dit : «Alors l’Aïeul Bhīṣma, dont l’âme et la prouesse étaient sans mesure, accabla Abhimanyu—fils de Subhadrā—d’une pluie de milliers de flèches. Le spectacle parut presque merveilleux, même au sein de la rude éthique du combat, où la vaillance se mesure à l’épreuve d’une force écrasante.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its stark form: in war, excellence and resolve are measured under extreme pressure. It also implies that extraordinary skill can make even violent action appear ‘adbhuta’ (awe-inspiring), reminding the reader to distinguish aesthetic marvel from moral cost.
Sañjaya narrates that Bhīṣma, the Kuru grandsire, attacks Abhimanyu (Saubhadra) by raining thousands of arrows upon him, creating a striking and astonishing battlefield scene.