Mahabharata — Virata Parva, Shloka 34
Adhyāya 61: Saṃmohana-astra and the Kuru Withdrawal (संमोहनास्त्रं तथा कुरुनिवृत्तिः)
तमायान्तं महाबाहुं जिगीषन्तं रणे कुरून् । अभ्यवारयदव्यग्र: क्रूरकर्मा55पगासुत:
tam āyāntaṁ mahābāhuṁ jigīṣantaṁ raṇe kurūn | abhyavārayad avyagraḥ krūrakarmā gaṅgāsutaḥ ||
強き腕を持つアルジュナが、戦場でクル族を打ち破らんと進み来たとき、ガンガーの子ビーシュマ—苛烈にして恐るべき戦働きで名高い老将—は、少しも動揺せず静かにその前進を押しとどめた。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadiness (avyagratā) and duty-bound resolve in conflict: Arjuna advances seeking victory, while Bhīṣma, composed and formidable, fulfills his chosen obligation by resisting. Ethically, it points to how warriors act from commitment to their roles and vows, even when facing revered opponents.
Arjuna advances on the battlefield with the intention of defeating the Kuru forces. Bhīṣma, identified as the son of the river Gaṅgā and described as a fierce doer of deeds, calmly intercepts and stops Arjuna’s advance.