Shloka 196
भीष्मस्य अप्रतिमपराक्रमः — शिखण्डिपुरस्कृतः प्रहारः
Bhīṣma’s unmatched momentum and the assault with Śikhaṇḍin in the lead
भीष्मस्याभिमुखान् यातान् वारयामासुराहवे । राजन! इसी प्रकार आपके अन्य योद्धाओंने भीष्मके सम्मुख गये हुए पाण्डव महारथियोंको युद्धमें आगे बढ़नेसे रोक दिया
bhīṣmasyābhimukhān yātān vārayāmāsur āhave | rājan! (anyaiḥ yodhāḥ api) bhīṣmasya sammukhaṁ gatān pāṇḍava-mahārathīn yuddhe agre vardhanāt (pravṛttyā) nivārayām āsuḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, they checked those warriors who were advancing straight toward Bhīṣma. O King, in the same way your other fighters also restrained the Pāṇḍava great chariot-warriors who had moved to confront Bhīṣma, preventing them from pressing forward in the fight.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights battlefield dharma as organized duty: protecting a key commander (Bhīṣma) and controlling the enemy’s advance through coordinated restraint, showing that war is fought not only by valor but by disciplined strategy and collective responsibility.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that when the Pāṇḍava elite warriors advanced to confront Bhīṣma directly, Kaurava fighters intervened and blocked them, preventing them from pushing forward toward Bhīṣma.