Shloka 32
Adhyāya 112: Bhīṣma-prati Arjunasya Pravṛttiḥ
Arjuna’s Forward Drive Toward Bhīṣma
दशमे5हनि भीष्मस्तु दर्शयठ्शक्तिमात्मन: । राजज्छतसहस्राणि सो5वधीत् कुरुनन्दन,किंतु राजन्! कुरुनन्दन! दसवें दिन भीष्मने अपनी शक्तिका परिचय देते हुए लाखों पाण्डव-सैनिकोंका संहार कर डाला
daśame 'hani bhīṣmas tu darśayac chaktim ātmanaḥ | rājaśata-sahasrāṇi so 'vadhīt kurunandana ||
Sañjaya said: On the tenth day, Bhīṣma displayed the full measure of his own prowess; and that Kurunandana slew hundreds of thousands of kings (warriors). The verse underscores the terrifying momentum of war: personal valor, when yoked to a vast conflict, becomes mass destruction—raising the ethical tension between kṣatriya duty on the battlefield and the human cost borne by armies and realms.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral gravity of war: extraordinary personal power and adherence to warrior-duty can still culminate in catastrophic loss of life, inviting reflection on dharma’s complexity when duty and compassion collide.
Sañjaya reports that on the tenth day of battle Bhīṣma openly demonstrates his might and causes immense casualties among the opposing forces, conveying the intensity and turning-point atmosphere of the Kurukṣetra conflict.