Shloka 24
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
मायाकृतात्मानमिव भीष्म तत्र सम मेनिरे । पूर्वस्यां दिशि त॑ दृष्टवा प्रतीच्यां ददृशुर्जना:
māyākṛtātmānam iva bhīṣma tatra sama menire | pūrvasyāṃ diśi taṃ dṛṣṭvā pratīcyāṃ dadṛśur janāḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Là, les hommes crurent que Bhīṣma était comme un être façonné par l’illusion. L’ayant vu à l’orient, ils le revirent à l’occident : si merveilleuse et si déconcertante était son apparition et son mouvement au tumulte de la guerre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the chaos of war, extraordinary prowess can appear almost unreal—reminding the listener that perception is easily overwhelmed by fear, speed, and spectacle, and that human judgment can mistake skill and momentum for ‘māyā’ (illusion).
Sañjaya reports that observers on the battlefield were astonished by Bhīṣma’s movements: after seeing him in the east, they seemed to see him again in the west, as if he were an illusory being—an image of his swift, dominating presence in combat.