Shloka 63
Sauptika Parva, Adhyaya 8 — Dhṛṣṭadyumna-vadha and the Camp’s Nocturnal Rout
ततो भीष्मनिहन्ता तं॑ सह सर्व: प्रभद्रकै: । अहनत् सर्वतो वीरं नानाप्रहरणैर्बली
tato bhīṣma-nihantā taṁ saha sarvaiḥ prabhadrakaiḥ | ahanat sarvato vīraṁ nānā-praharaṇair balī ||
Sañjaya said: Then the slayer of Bhīṣma, accompanied by all the Prabhadrakas, struck down that mighty hero from every side with weapons of many kinds. The scene underscores the grim ethic of war: when a warrior is isolated, coordinated force overwhelms individual valor, and victory is pursued through collective, relentless assault rather than single combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a harsh wartime reality: individual heroism can be undone by coordinated collective force. Ethically, it points to how battle often shifts from ideals of fair combat to pragmatic, overwhelming violence, raising questions about dharma under extreme conditions.
Sañjaya reports that the one known as Bhīṣma’s slayer, together with the Prabhadraka fighters, attacks a certain hero from all directions, using many kinds of weapons, and brings him down.