Shloka 21
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
तद् युद्धमासीत् सुमहत् तयोस्तत्र समागमे । यदाभ्यधावद् गाड़ेयं शिखण्डी शत्रुकर्शन:
tad yuddham āsīt sumahat tayos tatra samāgame | yadābhyadhāvad gāṅgeyaṃ śikhaṇḍī śatrukarśanaḥ ||
サンジャヤは言った。「両軍がまさに相まみえたその時、途方もない戦が燃え上がった――敵を砕く者シカンディーが、ガンガーの子ビーシュマへ真っすぐ突進した、その瞬間である。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how pivotal actions by principal warriors can unleash large-scale consequences in war, intensifying both strategic pressure and ethical tension—especially when the target is a figure like Bhīṣma, bound by vows and dharma yet caught in a catastrophic conflict.
Sañjaya reports that a massive fight erupted at the encounter of the two sides precisely when Śikhaṇḍī rushed to attack Bhīṣma (Gāṅgeya), signaling a major escalation on the battlefield.