Shloka 25
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले नरेश! राजा विराटने संग्राममें शोभा पानेवाले प्रयत्नशील एवं महाधनुर्धर अश्वत्थामाको भल्ल नामक दस बाणोंसे घायल किया ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
śatrūṇāṃ santāpa-dena-vāle nareśa! rājā virāṭaḥ saṅgrāme śobhā-pāna-vāle prayatnaśīlaṃ mahā-dhanu-dharaṃ aśvatthāmānaṃ bhalla-nāmabhiḥ daśabhiḥ bāṇaiḥ kṣataṃ cakāra ||
drupadaś ca tribhir bāṇa-vivyātha niśitais tadā |
guru-putraṃ samāsādya praharan tau mahā-balau |
tataḥ aśvatthāmā anekaiḥ bāṇaiḥ tau ubhau mahā-balau viddhvā virāṭa-drupadau vīrau bhīṣma-vadhaṃ prati udyatau babhūvatuḥ ||
サンジャヤは言った。「敵に苦悩を与える王よ。戦場において、栄誉を求めて懸命に戦うヴィラータ王は、強弓のアシュヴァッターマを“バッラ”と呼ばれる矢十本で傷つけた。ついでドルパダもまた、師の子に迫り、鋭い矢三本を放って彼を射た。二人の強き王が攻め立てると、アシュヴァッターマは逆に多くの矢で両者を貫いた。ヴィラータとドルパダ、二人の勇士は、ビーシュマ討伐を志していた。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kshatriya world of reciprocal violence: even righteous kings, seeking strategic advantage and battlefield glory, become firmly resolved to kill. It implicitly raises the ethical tension between duty in war and the grave karmic weight of lethal intent.
Virata wounds Ashvatthama with ten bhalla arrows; Drupada also pierces him with three sharp arrows. Ashvatthama retaliates by piercing both kings with many arrows. Virata and Drupada are portrayed as determined to bring about Bhishma’s death.