Shloka 50
Rajo-dhūli-saṃmūḍha-saṅgrāmaḥ
The Dust-Obscured Battle and Mutual Charges
ततो भीष्म: शान्तनवो नित्यं मण्डलकार्मुक:ः । मुमोच बाणान् दीप्ताग्रानहीनाशीविषानिव
tato bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavo nityaṁ maṇḍalakārmukaḥ | mumoca bāṇān dīptāgrān ahīn āśīviṣān iva ||
Sañjaya dit : Alors Bhīṣma, fils de Śāntanu, toujours habile à bander son arc d’un geste circulaire, ne cessa de décocher des flèches aux pointes flamboyantes—terribles comme des serpents venimeux—les déversant sans répit.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the awe-inspiring power of disciplined skill in warfare, while implicitly reminding the reader that such mastery, when deployed in a fratricidal war, intensifies the tragedy of adharma-driven conflict; prowess is ethically weighty because its effects are immense.
Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma on the battlefield continuously releasing blazing, deadly arrows, compared to venomous serpents, indicating a sustained and overwhelming assault against the opposing forces.