भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः
रथान् मे बहुसाहस्रान् दिव्यैरस्त्रमहाबल: । घातयत्यनिशं भीष्म: प्रवराणां प्रहारिणाम्
rathān me bahusāhasrān divyair astramahābalaḥ | ghātayaty aniśaṃ bhīṣmaḥ pravarāṇāṃ prahāriṇām ||
മഹാബലനായ ഭീഷ്മൻ ദിവ്യാസ്ത്രങ്ങളും അപാരബലവും പ്രയോഗിച്ച് എന്റെ പക്ഷത്തിലെ ശ്രേഷ്ഠരായ പ്രഹാരനിപുണരായ ആയിരക്കണക്കിന് രഥയോദ്ധാക്കളെ നിരന്തരം സംഹരിക്കുന്നു।
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the devastating momentum of warfare: martial excellence and even the 'foremost' fighters can be annihilated when a great warrior employs divine weapons relentlessly. It invites reflection on the ethical burden of power—strength and skill, once set in motion in battle, produce irreversible loss.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Bhishma, empowered by celestial weapons and immense prowess, is continuously slaughtering thousands of chariot-warriors from Sanjaya’s (i.e., the Kaurava) side, including elite and highly skilled combatants.