Shloka 45
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
युद्धमें आते ही उन्होंने अपने बाणोंसे भीमसेनको अदृश्य कर दिया, मानो सूर्य बादलोंसे ढक गये हों ।। अभिमन्युमुखास्तत् तु नामृष्यन्त महारथा: । भीमस्याच्छादनं संख्ये स्वबाहुबलमाश्रिता:,उस समय अभिमन्यु आदि महारथी भीमका इस प्रकार बाणोंसे आच्छादित हो जाना सहन न कर सके। वे अपने बाहुबलका आश्रय ले युद्धमें भगदत्तपर सब ओरसे बाणोंकी वर्षा करते हुए उन्हें रोकने लगे। उन्होंने अपने बाणोंकी वृष्टिसे भगदत्तके हाथीको भी सब ओरसे छेद डाला
abhimanyumukhās tat tu nāmṛṣyanta mahārathāḥ | bhīmasyācchādanaṃ saṅkhye svabāhubalam āśritāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: But the great chariot-warriors led by Abhimanyu could not endure Bhīma being thus smothered by a storm of arrows in the thick of battle. Trusting in the strength of their own arms, they closed in and checked Bhagadatta by showering him from every side with arrows—so that even his elephant was pierced all over. The passage underscores the warrior’s duty of protecting an ally under attack and the immediate, collective response to perceived injustice on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in action: when a comrade is overwhelmed, warriors are expected to respond decisively, relying on courage and skill to protect allies and restore balance in combat.
Bhīma is being heavily covered by enemy arrows; Abhimanyu and other elite fighters cannot bear it, so they counterattack Bhagadatta from all sides with a dense arrow-shower, even striking and piercing his elephant.