Shloka 8
भीष्मसेनासंनिवेशः — Bhīṣma’s Mobilization, Omens, and the Kaurava Array
इदं वः क्षत्रिया द्वारं स्वर्गायापावृतं महत् । गच्छध्वं तेन शक्रस्य ब्रह्मण: सहलोकताम्
idaṃ vaḥ kṣatriyā dvāraṃ svargāyāpāvṛtaṃ mahat | gacchadhvaṃ tena śakrasya brahmaṇaḥ sahalokatām ||
“हे क्षत्रियो! यह स्वर्ग का महान द्वार तुम्हारे लिये खुला है। इसके द्वारा जाकर इन्द्र अथवा ब्रह्मा के लोक में सहवास प्राप्त करो।”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts the classical ideal of kṣatriya-dharma: when a warrior engages in a rightful battle, the struggle itself is portrayed as an open ‘gate to heaven,’ promising exalted posthumous destiny (sālokya with Indra or Brahmā). It ethically reframes combat as duty-bound action rather than personal aggression.
In the Bhīṣma Parva war-setting, Sanjaya reports exhortatory words addressed to the warriors: they are urged to advance into battle, being told that the battlefield is a direct passage to heavenly realms, thereby strengthening resolve and legitimizing participation through dharmic ideals.