Shloka 66
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
भीष्मं च शरवर्षाणि सृजन्तमनिशं युधि । प्रतपन्तमिवादित्यं मध्यमासाद्य सेनयो:
bhīṣmaṃ ca śaravarṣāṇi sṛjantam aniśaṃ yudhi | pratapantam ivādityaṃ madhyam āsādya senayoḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : «Et Bhīṣma—décochant sans trêve des averses de flèches—se tenait entre les deux armées, flamboyant comme le soleil. Sa prouesse semblait brûler le champ de bataille lorsqu’il abattait les plus éminents guerriers de l’ost de Yudhiṣṭhira, si bien que les rangs des Pāṇḍava paraissaient une scène de dissolution.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of kṣatriya-dharma in war: extraordinary martial power can appear ‘sun-like’ and irresistible, yet it also intensifies collective suffering. It invites reflection on how duty, prowess, and destruction coexist on the battlefield.
Sañjaya reports Bhīṣma’s dominant performance: he stands between the two armies and continuously rains arrows, shining and scorching like the sun, thereby breaking the Pāṇḍava ranks and creating a near-apocalyptic scene in Yudhiṣṭhira’s forces.