Shloka 50
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
युधिष्ठिरं तु कौन्तेयं महत्या सेनया वृतम् । भीष्माभिमुखमायान्तं भारद्वाजो न्यवारयत्
yudhiṣṭhiraṃ tu kaunteyaṃ mahatyā senayā vṛtam | bhīṣmābhimukham āyāntaṃ bhāradvājo nyavārayat || (tatra yuddham abhūd ghoraṃ tayoḥ puruṣasiṃhayoḥ |)
Sañjaya berkata: Melihat Yudhiṣṭhira putra Kuntī, dikelilingi bala tentara besar, maju lurus menghadap Bhīṣma, Droṇācārya putra Bharadvāja menahan lajunya. Di sana, antara dua insan laksana singa itu, berkobarlah pertempuran sengit—menunjukkan bagaimana kewajiban dan keadaan memaksa bahkan yang paling teguh pada dharma memasuki benturan berdarah.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of dharma in wartime: even a ruler devoted to righteousness (Yudhiṣṭhira) must engage in violence when bound by kṣatriya duty and the larger demands of protecting order and fulfilling responsibility.
Yudhiṣṭhira, backed by a large force, advances toward Bhīṣma. Droṇa intervenes and halts him, leading to a fierce duel-like engagement between these two eminent warriors.