Shloka 43
Bhīṣma–Karṇa Saṃvāda on the Śaraśayyā (भीष्म–कर्ण संवादः शरशय्यायाम्)
ततः प्रववृते युद्धं कौरवाणां भयावहम् । तत्र पाण्डुसुतै: सार्थ भीष्मस्य विजयं प्रति,तदनन्तर वहाँ भीष्मकी विजयके उद्देश्यसे कौरवोंका पाण्डवोंके साथ भयंकर युद्ध होने लगा
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ kauravāṇāṃ bhayāvaham | tatra pāṇḍusutaiḥ sārthaṃ bhīṣmasya vijayaṃ prati ||
Sañjaya said: Then there began a fearsome battle, dreadful for the Kauravas. There, the sons of Pāṇḍu engaged them in combat with the aim of securing Bhīṣma’s victory—thus the struggle surged forward, driven by allegiance and the harsh ethics of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war is propelled by allegiance and objectives (here, victory for Bhīṣma), yet it is intrinsically fear-laden and ethically weighty. It implicitly contrasts strategic aims with the human cost and dread that accompany adharma-prone conflict.
Sañjaya reports that a terrifying battle erupts between the Kauravas and the sons of Pāṇḍu, with the fighting framed around the goal of ensuring Bhīṣma’s victory, indicating the centrality of Bhīṣma’s command and the intensity of the engagement.