Shloka 36
भीष्मस्य अप्रतिमपराक्रमः — शिखण्डिपुरस्कृतः प्रहारः
Bhīṣma’s unmatched momentum and the assault with Śikhaṇḍin in the lead
सो&5तिविद्धो महेष्वास: पुत्रेण तव धन्विना । व्यराजत रणे पार्थ: किंशुकः पुष्पवानिव,आपके धनुर्धर पुत्रद्वारा युद्धमें अधिक घायल किये जानेपर महाधनुर्धर अर्जुन खिले हुए पलाशवृक्षके समान शोभा पाने लगे
so 'tividdho maheṣvāsaḥ putreṇa tava dhanvinā | vyarājata raṇe pārthaḥ kiṃśukaḥ puṣpavān iva ||
Sañjaya said: Though struck again and again by your bow-wielding son, the great archer Pārtha shone on the battlefield like a kiṃśuka tree in full bloom. The verse underscores a warrior’s steadfastness: even when wounded, Arjuna’s resolve and radiance in righteous combat do not diminish, but appear all the more conspicuous—like bright blossoms against the field of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfast valor: a righteous warrior’s inner resolve can make him appear even more radiant amid suffering. The poetic image suggests that wounds do not necessarily diminish dharmic courage; they can reveal it more vividly.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna, though heavily pierced by Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son’s arrows, continues to stand out in battle, shining like a palāśa (kiṃśuka) tree covered with blossoms.