Shloka 50
ततः किरीटी संक्रुद्धों भीष्ममेवाभ्यवर्तत
tataḥ kirīṭī saṅkruddho bhīṣmam evābhyavartata
Sañjaya said: Then Arjuna, the diadem-crowned warrior, inflamed with righteous anger, turned his assault directly upon Bhīṣma—choosing to confront the formidable elder himself amid the moral strain of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya imperative to confront the chief source of harm on the battlefield, even when that opponent is an elder worthy of reverence. It frames anger not as mere passion but as a surge of determined resolve directed toward restoring order and protecting one’s side, while still carrying the ethical weight of fighting a revered patriarch.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna (identified by his diadem, kirīṭa) becomes intensely angered and advances straight at Bhīṣma, focusing his attack on the Kuru commander rather than engaging lesser warriors.