Shloka 35
Chapter 47: Krauñca-vyūha Deployment and Conch-Signals
Kaurava–Pāṇḍava Readiness
सो<वगाहा चमूं शत्रो: शरशक्तिसमाकुलाम् | भीष्ममेवाभ्ययात् तूर्ण भ्रातृभि: परिवारित:,बाण और शक्तियोंसे भरी हुई शत्रुकी सेनामें घुसकर भाइयोंसे घिरे हुए युधिष्छिर तुरंत ही भीष्मजीके पास जा पहुँचे
so ’vagāhya camūṃ śatroḥ śaraśaktisamākulām | bhīṣmam evābhyayāt tūrṇaṃ bhrātṛbhiḥ parivāritaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Having plunged into the enemy host, thick with arrows and spears, Yudhiṣṭhira—surrounded by his brothers—swiftly advanced straight toward Bhīṣma. The moment underscores a dharmic tension: the king, bound by duty to protect his side and uphold righteous order, is nevertheless compelled to confront an elder and revered guardian of the Kuru line amid the brutal necessities of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya’s dharma in its hardest form: decisive action in defense of rightful order, even when it requires confronting venerable elders. It frames courage and responsibility as ethical obligations amid the chaos of war.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira, accompanied and protected by his brothers, penetrates the enemy formation bristling with missiles and moves rapidly to engage Bhīṣma, the chief commander and formidable warrior on the opposing side.