Shloka 44
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
आपततन्नेव च रणे भीमसेनं शिलीमुखै: । अदृश्यं समरे चक्रे जीमूत इव भास्करम्
āpatatann eva ca raṇe bhīmasenaṃ śilīmukhaiḥ | adṛśyaṃ samare cakre jīmūta iva bhāskaram ||
Sañjaya said: Even as Bhīmasena was charging in the battle, he was struck with śilīmukha arrows; and in the midst of the fight the attacker made him vanish from sight—just as a mass of clouds obscures the sun. The image underscores how, in war, prowess is tested not only by strength but by the ability to withstand sudden reversals and remain steadfast amid confusion.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring epic ethic of endurance in dharmic struggle: even the mightiest warrior can be suddenly overwhelmed or obscured, so true steadiness is shown by maintaining resolve and clarity amid the chaos and reversals of war.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma rushing forward in battle and being showered with śilīmukha arrows, to the point that he becomes hard to see on the battlefield—likened to the sun hidden by thick clouds.