Shloka 8
Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies
रथानीकान्यदृश्यन्त नगराणीव भूरिश: । अतीव शुशुभे तत्र पिता ते पूर्णचन्द्रवत्
sañjaya uvāca | rathānīkāny adṛśyanta nagarāṇīva bhūriśaḥ | atīva śuśubhe tatra pitā te pūrṇacandravat |
നഗരങ്ങളെപ്പോലെ വൻതോതിൽ രഥവ്യൂഹങ്ങൾ ദൃശ്യമാവുകയായിരുന്നു. അവയുടെ നടുവിൽ നിങ്ങളുടെ പിതാമഹൻ ഭീഷ്മൻ പൂർണ്ണചന്ദ്രനെപ്പോലെ അത്യന്തം ദീപ്തനായി ശോഭിച്ചു.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outward power and splendor—vast military arrays and a celebrated commander—can inspire confidence and awe, yet it also implicitly frames the ethical tension of war: even the most radiant leadership is set within a conflict whose consequences test dharma and responsibility.
Sanjaya reports to King Dhritarashtra what is visible on the battlefield: innumerable chariot-divisions appear like cities, and Bhishma, Dhritarashtra’s revered elder, stands out among them, shining prominently as the Kuru side’s central figure.