Shloka 48
Rajo-dhūli-saṃmūḍha-saṅgrāmaḥ
The Dust-Obscured Battle and Mutual Charges
सा तु यौधिष्ठिरी सेना गाड़ेयशरपीडिता । सिंहेनेव विनिर्भिन्ना शुक्ला गौरिव गोपते,राजन्! गंगानन्दन भीष्मके बाणोंसे पीड़ित हुई वह युधिष्ठिरकी (श्वैत- परिधानविभूषित) सेना सिंहके द्वारा सतायी हुई सफेद गायके समान प्रतीत होने लगी
sā tu yaudhiṣṭhirī senā gāḍeyaśarapīḍitā | siṃheneva vinirbhinnā śuklā gauriva gopate rājan ||
Sañjaya said: But that army of Yudhiṣṭhira, grievously tormented by the dense shower of arrows, appeared like a white cow harried and torn apart by a lion—O king—when struck by the shafts of Bhīṣma, the son of the Gaṅgā. The image underscores how, in the fury of war, even a righteous host can be driven into distress by superior martial force, testing steadiness and resolve amid adharma-like violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of war: righteousness alone does not prevent suffering. Even a dharmic side can be overwhelmed by superior force, and the ethical test becomes endurance, discipline, and clarity of purpose amid violence.
Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma’s fierce archery on the battlefield. Yudhiṣṭhira’s forces, battered by a dense rain of arrows, look like a white cow being mauled by a lion—an image conveying panic, injury, and the crushing pressure of Bhīṣma’s assault.