Shloka 19
तं शब्दं तुमुलं श्रुत्वा पाण्डवानां महारथा:,अताडयन् रणे भीष्मं सहिता: सर्वसृञज्जया: । समस्त सूंजय वीर एक साथ संगठित हो भयंकर शतघ्नी, परिघ, फरसे, मुद्गर, मुसल, प्रास, गोफन, स्वर्णमय पंखवाले बाण, शक्ति, तोमर, कम्पन, नाराच, वत्सदन््त और भुशुण्डी आदि अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंद्वारा रणभूमिमें भीष्मको सब ओरसे पीड़ा देने लगे
sañjaya uvāca |
taṁ śabdaṁ tumulaṁ śrutvā pāṇḍavānāṁ mahārathāḥ |
atāḍayan raṇe bhīṣmaṁ sahitāḥ sarvasṛñjayāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Hearing that tremendous, tumultuous roar raised by the Pāṇḍavas, all the Sṛñjaya great chariot-warriors, acting in close formation, fell upon Bhīṣma in the battle and struck at him from every side. The scene underscores the grim ethic of war: even the most venerable elder is treated as an active combatant once he stands as the opposing commander, and collective duty to one’s cause overrides personal reverence on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield tension between personal reverence and martial duty: once a revered elder like Bhīṣma leads the opposing army, the warriors’ obligation to their side and to the rules of war compels a united assault, illustrating how kṣatriya-dharma can demand hard, impersonal action.
Sañjaya reports that, after hearing the Pāṇḍavas’ tremendous battle-roar, the Sṛñjaya great warriors collectively attack Bhīṣma in the fight, striking him from all directions as the battle intensifies around the Kuru commander.