Shloka 28
Ghaṭotkaca Slays Alāyudha (Night Battle and Māyā Countermeasures) / घटोत्कचेन अलायुधवधः
सौवर्ण सत्यसंधस्य ध्वजमक्लिष्टकर्मण: । अपश्यन् युधि भीष्मस्य कथमाशंससे जयम्,अनायास ही महान् कर्म करनेवाले सत्यप्रतिज्ञ भीष्मके सुवर्णमय ध्वजको अब युद्धस्थलमें फहराता न देखकर भी तुम विजयकी आशा कैसे करते हो?
sauvarṇaṃ satyasaṃdhasya dhvajam akliṣṭakarmaṇaḥ | apaśyan yudhi bhīṣmasya katham āśaṃsase jayam anāyāsaḥ ||
Ketika di medan perang engkau tak lagi melihat panji emas Bhīṣma—yang teguh pada kebenaran dan tak kenal lelah dalam laku—bagaimana engkau masih berharap akan kemenangan?
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Do not cling to effortless optimism in the face of clear evidence. When the support of a principled, tireless leader is gone, ethical and strategic realism demands reassessment rather than complacent hope.
Sañjaya challenges Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s expectation of Kaurava victory by pointing to a concrete battlefield sign: Bhīṣma’s golden standard is no longer seen, implying Bhīṣma’s fall or removal from command, and thus a major shift in the war’s balance.