Shloka 20
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
तत्र भीष्म: शान्तनवो नित्यं मण्डलकार्मुक: । मुमोच बाणान् दीप्ताग्रानहीनाशीविषानिव,वहाँ शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्म अपने धनुषको मण्डलाकार करके विषधर सर्पोंके समान भयंकर एवं प्रज्वलित बाणोंकी निरन्तर वर्षा कर रहे थे
tatra bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavo nityaṁ maṇḍalakārmukaḥ | mumoca bāṇān dīptāgrān ahīn āśīviṣān iva ||
Sañjaya said: There, Bhīṣma, the son of Śāntanu, ever wielding his bow in a circular sweep, kept releasing arrows with blazing tips—terrible like venomous serpents. The scene underscores the relentless, disciplined force of a veteran warrior whose prowess shapes the moral pressure of the battlefield, where duty and destruction move side by side.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined martial excellence and the relentless momentum of war, reminding the listener that even dutiful action (kṣatriya-dharma) can carry fearsome consequences; ethical reflection arises from seeing duty executed with overwhelming power.
Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma on the battlefield continuously shooting blazing arrows in rapid, circular bow-sweeps, comparing the arrows’ terror to venomous snakes.