Shloka 64
भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal
चिच्छेद सर्वमर्मज्ञ: कामरूपो दुरासद: । तथा स राक्षसश्रेष्ठ: शरै: कृत्त: पुन: पुन:
ciccheda sarvamarmajñaḥ kāmarūpo durāsadaḥ | tathā sa rākṣasaśreṣṭhaḥ śaraiḥ kṛttaḥ punaḥ punaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : L’assaillant—habile à frapper chaque point vital, capable de prendre forme à volonté et difficile à vaincre—ne cessait de tailler son adversaire. Pourtant, ce rākṣasa, le plus éminent, était, encore et encore, haché par des volées de flèches.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim ethic of warfare: mastery lies in precise knowledge (marmas) and relentless effort, yet even the mighty and seemingly invincible are repeatedly brought down—suggesting the limits of brute power and the inexorability of consequences in battle.
Sañjaya describes a fierce combat scene in which a formidable, shape-shifting rākṣasa is repeatedly cut down by showers of arrows from an expert opponent who knows how to strike vital points.