Shloka 25
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
लोगोंको ऐसा मालूम हो रहा था कि रफणक्षेत्रमें भीष्मजीने मायासे अपनेको अनेक रूपोंमें प्रकट कर लिया है। जिन लोगोंने उन्हें पूर्वदिशामें देखा था, उन्हीं लोगोंको अखि फिरते ही वे पश्चिममें दिखायी दिये ।। उदीच्यां चैवमालोक्य दक्षिणस्यां पुनः प्रभो । एवं स समरे शूरो गाड़्जेय: प्रत्यदृश्यत,प्रभो! बहुतोंने उन्हें उत्तर दिशामें देखकर तत्काल ही दक्षिण दिशामें भी देखा। इस प्रकार समरभूमिमें वे शूरवीर गंगानन्दन भीष्म सब ओर दिखायी दे रहे थे
sañjaya uvāca | uदीcyāṃ caivam ālokya dakṣiṇasyāṃ punaḥ prabho | evaṃ sa samare śūro gāṅgeyaḥ pratyadṛśyata ||
Sañjaya said: “O lord, having thus been seen in the northern quarter, he was again seen in the southern. In this way, in the thick of battle, the heroic Bhīṣma—the son of the Gaṅgā—appeared to be visible on every side.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, perception can be overwhelmed by speed, strategy, and awe—so that a single great warrior seems omnipresent. Ethically, it underscores the psychological dimension of battle: morale and fear can magnify an opponent beyond ordinary measure.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma is being seen in multiple directions—north and then immediately south—so that onlookers feel he is appearing on all sides of the battlefield, as if through extraordinary prowess or illusion.