Shloka 43
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
तयो: समभवद् युद्ध भीष्महेतोर्महाहवे
tayoḥ samabhavad yuddhaṃ bhīṣmahetoḥ mahāhave
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ആ മഹാഹവത്തിൽ ഭീഷ്മനെ നിമിത്തമാക്കി അവരിരുവരുടെയും ഭയങ്കര യുദ്ധം ഉദിച്ചു.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how pivotal figures can become the immediate cause (hetu) for large-scale events: in war, leadership and allegiance concentrate moral and strategic tensions, turning personal vows and authority into catalysts for collective violence.
Sañjaya reports that a major clash erupted between the opposing forces in the great battle, and he attributes the outbreak of this engagement specifically to Bhīṣma—indicating that actions centered on him (as commander, target, or decisive presence) triggered the confrontation.