Shloka 26
भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas
प्रेषिता भीमसेनेन शरास्ते दृढ्धन्वना । अपातयन्त पुत्रांस्ते रथेभ्य: सुमहारथान्,सुदृढ़ धनुर्धर भीमसेनके द्वारा चलाये हुए उन बाणोंने आपके बहुत-से महारथी पुत्रोंको मारकर रथोंसे नीचे गिरा दिया
preṣitā bhīmasenena śarās te dṛḍhadhanvanā | apātayanta putrāṁs te rathebhyaḥ sumahārathān |
Sanjaya said: The arrows discharged by Bhimasena, that steadfast wielder of the bow, struck down many of your sons—great chariot-warriors—and hurled them from their chariots. The scene underscores the grim impartiality of battle, where prowess and resolve bring swift consequences even upon the mighty, and where attachment to one’s own kin is tested against the harsh outcomes of adharma-driven conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the inexorable results of violent conflict: even exalted warriors fall when confronted by superior force and resolve. Implicitly, it points to the moral weight of the war—how the pursuit of power and adharma leads to the destruction of one’s own lineage, testing the boundaries of duty, attachment, and consequence.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Bhimasena has released a volley of arrows that kills or incapacitates many of Dhritarashtra’s sons—renowned chariot-warriors—causing them to tumble from their chariots on the battlefield.