Shloka 17
Gāndhārī’s Battlefield Survey: The Fallen and the Onset of Funeral Rites (शल्य-भगीरथ-भीष्म-द्रोणादि-दर्शनम्)
शरतल्पगतं भीष्ममूर्थ्वरेतसमच्युतम् । शयानं वीरशयने पश्य शूरनिषेविते,जो ऊध्वरेता ब्रह्मचारी रहकर कभी मर्यादासे च्युत नहीं हुए हैं, उन भीष्मको शूरसेवित वीरोचित शयन बाणशय्यापर सोते हुए देख लो
śarat-talpa-gataṃ bhīṣmam ūrdhva-retasam acyutam | śayānaṃ vīra-śayane paśya śūra-niṣevite ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : «Vois, ô Acyuta, Bhīṣma étendu sur le lit de flèches—lui qui demeura inébranlable dans le brahmacarya, l’énergie vitale tenue vers le haut, sans jamais dévier de son vœu de retenue—reposant sur une couche de héros, entouré et honoré par les guerriers.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical steadfastness: Bhīṣma, famed for unwavering vows and brahmacarya, is portrayed as ‘acyuta’—one who does not fall from self-restraint—even amid extreme bodily suffering. It frames moral discipline as a form of inner heroism equal to martial valor.
The narrator points the listener toward Bhīṣma, who lies on the battlefield upon a bed of arrows (the śara-talpa), resting on a warrior’s couch and attended by heroes. The scene underscores both his grievous condition after battle and the reverence he still commands.