Shloka 48
नोदयाश्वान् यतो भीष्मो विगाहैतद् बलार्णवम् | पातयिष्यामि दुर्धर्ष वृद्धं कुकपितामहम्,वसुदेवनन्दन श्रीकृष्णके ऐसा कहनेपर अर्जुनने उन्हें इस प्रकार उत्तर दिया--“भगवन्! इन घोड़ोंको हाँककर वहीं ले चलिये, जहाँ भीष्म मौजूद हैं। इस सेनारूपी समुद्रमें प्रवेश कीजिये। आज मैं कुरुलके वृद्ध पितामह दुर्धर्ष वीर भीष्मको रथसे नीचे गिरा दूँगा!
sañjaya uvāca | nodayāśvān yato bhīṣmo vigāhaitad balārṇavam | pātayiṣyāmi durdharṣaṃ vṛddhaṃ kuru-pitāmaham ||
Sanjaya said: Arjuna, addressing Krishna, urged him to drive the horses straight to where Bhishma stood and to plunge into that ocean-like host of troops. Declaring his resolve, he vowed that on that very day he would strike down from his chariot the formidable, aged grandsire of the Kurus—Bhishma—thus framing his martial intent as a decisive act within the demands of war and duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kshatriya resolve within dharma: decisive action in battle is framed as duty, yet it is undertaken through reliance on rightful guidance—Arjuna’s command is directed to Krishna as charioteer, implying disciplined agency rather than reckless violence.
Arjuna instructs Krishna to drive the chariot into the thick of the Kaurava host toward Bhishma’s position, declaring that he will bring the formidable elder Bhishma down from his chariot that day.