Shloka 26
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
नचैवं पाण्डवेयानां कश्चिच्छकनोति वीक्षितुम् | विशिखानेव पश्यन्ति भीष्मचापच्युतान् बहून्ू,पाण्डवोंमेंसे कोई भी उन्हें देख नहीं पाता था। सब लोग भीष्मजीके धनुषसे छूटे हुए बहुसंख्यक बाणोंको ही देखते थे
na caivaṃ pāṇḍaveyānāṃ kaścit śaknoti vīkṣitum | viśikhān iva paśyanti bhīṣma-cāpa-cyutān bahūn ||
Sañjaya said: None among the sons of Pāṇḍu was able to look upon him directly; all that could be seen were the countless arrows released from Bhīṣma’s bow, flashing forth like sharp darts. The scene underscores how, in the fury of war, sheer martial prowess can eclipse personal presence, reducing the battlefield’s moral drama to the visible consequences of action—wounds, fear, and the relentless momentum of violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming power in war can dominate perception: the warrior’s presence becomes secondary to the visible effects of his actions. Ethically, it points to the sobering truth that violence quickly turns human conflict into a spectacle of consequences—arrows, injury, and fear—inviting reflection on restraint and responsibility even within kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma’s terrifying effectiveness on the battlefield. The Pāṇḍavas cannot even look at him properly; what they perceive are the innumerable arrows streaming from his bow, suggesting speed, intensity, and the near-unapproachable aura of the grandsire in combat.