Shloka 73
पट्टिशैश्न सुनिस्त्रिंशैर्नाराचैश्व तथा शितैः । वत्सदन्तैश्न भल्लैश्व तमेकमभिदुद्रुवु:,तदनन्तर वे पाण्डव-सैनिक सब ओरसे तोमर, प्रास, बाणसमुदाय, पट्टिश, खड़्ग, तीखे नाराच, वत्सदन्त तथा भल्लोंका प्रहार करते हुए एकमात्र भीष्मकी ओर दौड़े
paṭṭiśaiś ca sunistriṁśair nārācaiś ca tathā śitaiḥ | vatsadantaiś ca bhallaiś ca tam ekam abhidudruvuḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then the Pāṇḍava warriors surged forward against Bhīṣma alone, striking at him with spears and lances, with sharp arrows in volleys, with paṭṭiśa weapons and keen swords, and with razor-edged nārācas—also with vatsadanta and bhalla shafts. The scene underscores the grim ethics of war: even a single, formidable elder becomes the focal point of collective assault when the fate of armies and dharma itself seems to hinge on his fall.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral tension of dharma in war: when a single warrior (even an elder like Bhīṣma) stands as the decisive pillar of an opposing force, collective action against him becomes a strategic necessity, illustrating how duty and compassion collide on the battlefield.
Sañjaya describes the Pāṇḍava soldiers rushing together toward Bhīṣma alone and attacking him with multiple kinds of weapons—spears, swords, and various sharp arrows—showing the intensity of the attempt to bring down the Kaurava commander.