Shloka 426
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
धनंजयरथं शीघ्रं शरवर्षरवाकिरत् | तब बारंबार सिंहनाद करते हुए कुरुश्रेष्ठ भीष्मने धनंजयके रथपर शीघ्र ही बाणोंकी वर्षा आरम्भ कर दी
sañjaya uvāca | dhanañjaya-rathaṁ śīghraṁ śara-varṣa-ravākirat | tataḥ bāraṁbāraṁ siṁha-nādaṁ kurvan kuru-śreṣṭho bhīṣmaḥ dhanañjayasya rathe śīghram eva bāṇānāṁ varṣam ārabdhavān |
Sañjaya berkata: Bhīṣma, yang terunggul dalam kalangan Kuru, berkali-kali mengaum seperti singa, lalu dengan pantas menutupi kereta Dhananjaya dengan hujan anak panah yang menggelegar. Dalam bahang pertempuran, serangan tanpa henti sang tua pahlawan menzahirkan etika perang kṣatriya yang keras—tekad yang tidak berganjak dan penguasaan senjata yang ditujukan kepada kemenangan, walau terhadap lawan yang tiada bandingan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: steadfastness, disciplined aggression, and strategic skill in battle. Even revered elders like Bhishma act without hesitation when duty and allegiance demand it, illustrating how personal affection is subordinated to the obligations of one’s role in wartime.
Sanjaya describes Bhishma repeatedly giving a lion-like battle cry and unleashing a rapid, loud barrage of arrows that blankets Arjuna’s chariot, signaling an intense escalation in their confrontation on the battlefield.