Shloka 316
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
आजपघानोरससि क्रुद्ध इच्छन् भीष्मस्य जीवितम् । तदनन्तर भीष्मके जीवनकी रक्षा चाहनेवाले कृपाचार्यने समरांगणमें भार सहन करनेमें समर्थ दूसरा धनुष लेकर अत्यन्त हर्षके साथ सहदेवकी छातीमें क्रोधपूर्वक दस तीखे बाण मारे
ājapaghānorasasi kruddha icchan bhīṣmasya jīvitam | tadanantaraṃ bhīṣmake jīvanakī rakṣā cāhanevāle kṛpācāryane samarāṅgaṇeṃ bhāra sahan karanemeṃ samartha dūsarā dhanuṣ lekar atyanta harṣake sāth sahadevaki chātīmeṃ krodhapūrvak daśa tīkṣṇa bāṇ māre |
Sañjaya berkata: Ia menyerang dengan amarah, berniat merenggut nyawa Bhīṣma. Lalu Kṛpācārya—yang hendak melindungi hidup Bhīṣma—mengangkat busur lain yang sanggup menahan beban pertempuran, dan dengan hati yang bergelora, ia menghujamkan sepuluh anak panah tajam ke dada Sahadeva.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, actions are often framed as dharma-driven obligations—here, the duty of a senior warrior to protect a revered commander (Bhishma). Yet the passage also shows the ethical tension: protective loyalty can manifest through violence, perpetuating escalation.
As an attack threatens Bhishma’s life, Kripacharya intervenes on the battlefield, takes up a strong bow, and shoots Sahadeva in the chest with ten sharp arrows to repel the threat and safeguard Bhishma.