Shloka 22
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
विराटद्रुपदौ वृद्धौ वारयन्ती महाचमूम् । भीष्मं च युधि संरब्धावाद्रवन्ती महारथौ
virāṭa-drupadau vṛddhau vārayantī mahācamūm | bhīṣmaṃ ca yudhi saṃrabdhāv ādravantī mahārathau ||
Raja-raja tua Virāṭa dan Drupada, dua kesatria kereta agung, berusaha menahan bala yang besar itu; dengan amarah menyala mereka menerjang di medan laga menuju Bhīṣma.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma: even aged rulers may feel compelled to confront a formidable enemy when duty demands resistance. It also hints at the tragic moral pressure of war, where righteous courage and destructive anger can coexist.
Sañjaya reports that the elderly kings Virāṭa and Drupada attempt to hold back the massive opposing army and, in anger, charge directly at Bhīṣma on the battlefield as two elite chariot-warriors.