भीष्म-युधिष्ठिर-संमर्दः
Bhīṣma’s Pressure on Yudhiṣṭhira; Śikhaṇḍī’s Approach; Evening Withdrawal
नाशयामास सेनां तां भीष्मस्तेषां महात्मनाम् | पज्चालानां च सैन्यानि शरैर्निन्ये यमक्षयम्
sañjaya uvāca | nāśayāmāsa senāṃ tāṃ bhīṣmas teṣāṃ mahātmanām | pāñcālānāṃ ca sainyāni śarair ninye yamakṣayam ||
Sañjaya dit : Bhīṣma anéantit cette armée de guerriers au grand cœur ; et de ses flèches il poussa les forces des Pāñcālas jusqu’au séjour de Yama.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the tragic ethical tension of dharma-yuddha: even ‘mahātman’ warriors can be destroyed when duty, allegiance, and righteousness collide in war, reminding the listener that victory is inseparable from grave human cost.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma, fighting for the Kauravas, devastates the opposing forces—specifically the Pāñcāla troops—sending many to death through his arrow-barrage.