भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal
तथा मर्मातिगैर्भीष्मो निजघान महारथान् । कम्पयन् समरे सेनां पाण्डवानां परंतप:
tathā marmātigair bhīṣmo nijaghāna mahārathān | kampayan samare senāṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ paraṃtapaḥ ||
ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಕಡೆ ಶತ್ರುಸಂತಾಪಕ ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಸಮರಭೂಮಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮರ್ಮಭೇದಕ ಬಾಣಗಳಿಂದ ಪಾಂಡವಸೇನೆಯನ್ನು ಕಂಪಿಸಿ, ಅವರ ಮಹಾರಥಿಗಳನ್ನು ಸಂಹರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದನು.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the tension between martial excellence and moral burden: Bhīṣma fulfills his chosen kṣatriya role with devastating precision, reminding readers that in a dharma-conflicted war, duty can be executed flawlessly while still carrying profound ethical weight.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīṣma, using vital-point-piercing arrows, is killing prominent Pāṇḍava chariot-warriors and shaking the Pāṇḍava forces on the battlefield, emphasizing his dominance in the ongoing combat.