Shloka 72
अभिद्रवत गाड़ेयं मा वो5स्तु भयमण्वपि | इसी समय राजा युधिष्ठिरने अपने सैनिकोंको आज्ञा दी--“वीरो! गंगानन्दन भीष्मपर आक्रमण करो। उनकी ओरसे तुम्हारे मनमें तनिक भी भय नहीं होना चाहिये” || ७१ है ।। अथ ते तोमरै: प्रासैर्बाणौघैश्ष॒ समनन्तत:,तदनन्तर वे पाण्डव-सैनिक सब ओरसे तोमर, प्रास, बाणसमुदाय, पट्टिश, खड़्ग, तीखे नाराच, वत्सदन्त तथा भल्लोंका प्रहार करते हुए एकमात्र भीष्मकी ओर दौड़े
sañjaya uvāca | abhidravata gāṅgeyaṃ mā vo 'stu bhayam aṇv api | atha te tomaraiḥ prāsair bāṇaughaiś ca samanantataḥ paṭṭiśaiḥ khaḍgaiś ca tīkṣṇair nārācair vatsadantaiś ca bhallaiś ca praharanta ekaṃ bhīṣmam abhidudruvuḥ |
Sanjaya said: “Charge at Bhishma, the son of the Ganga. Let there not be even the slightest fear in you.” Then, at Yudhishthira’s command, the Pandava soldiers rushed from every side toward Bhishma alone, striking at him with javelins, spears, volleys of arrows, axes, swords, sharp barbed shafts, and broad-headed arrows. The scene underscores a hard ethical tension of war: courage is demanded not for hatred, but for steadfast duty in the face of a formidable elder whose prowess inspires dread.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights kshatriya-dharma in battle: fear must be mastered and courage cultivated, especially when confronting a revered and powerful elder like Bhishma. Leadership here functions ethically by steadying the troops—removing panic so action can be guided by duty rather than terror.
Sanjaya reports that Yudhishthira orders the Pandava forces to charge Bhishma (Gāṅgeya) without even slight fear. The soldiers then surge from all directions, assailing Bhishma alone with multiple weapons—javelins, spears, volleys of arrows, axes, swords, and specialized arrow types.