Shloka 60
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
हतो भीष्मो हतो भीष्मस्तत्र तत्र वचो महत् | अश्रूयत महाराज वासुदेवभयात् तदा,भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण उस महायुद्धमें आपके पुत्रों और सैनिकोंकी चेतनाको मानो अपना ग्रास बनाये ले रहे थे। महाराज! उस मार-काटमें माधवको समीप आकर भीष्मके वधके लिये उद्यत हुआ देख उस समय उन वासुदेवके भयसे चारों ओर यह महान् कोलाहल सुनायी देने लगा कि “भीष्म मारे गये, भीष्म मारे गये”
sañjaya uvāca | hato bhīṣmo hato bhīṣmas tatra tatra vaco mahat | aśrūyata mahārāja vāsudevabhayāt tadā ||
Sañjaya said: “‘Bhīṣma is slain! Bhīṣma is slain!’—this great cry was heard again and again on every side, O King, at that time, arising from fear of Vāsudeva. For in that dreadful slaughter, the Blessed Śrī Kṛṣṇa seemed to be consuming the very consciousness of your sons and soldiers; and seeing Mādhava draw near, intent on Bhīṣma’s death, the army was seized with panic and the tumult spread everywhere.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how moral and psychological forces shape war: the mere approach of Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva), perceived as an unstoppable divine will aligned with the Pandava cause, breaks the enemy’s confidence. It suggests that adharma and inner fear can collapse an army even before physical defeat, while divine resolve (or the perception of it) becomes a decisive ethical and strategic factor.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a loud cry—“Bhīṣma is slain!”—is echoing everywhere. The uproar arises because Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava/Vāsudeva) is seen coming close, seemingly intent on Bhīṣma’s death, and the Kaurava side is terrified; the battlefield chaos makes the rumor spread as a great tumult.