Shloka 84
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
महारथं भारत दुष्प्रकम्पं शरौधिणं प्रतपन्तं नरेन्द्रान् । भीष्म न शेकुः प्रतिवीक्षितुं ते शरार्चिषं सूर्यमिवातपन्तम्
mahārathaṃ bhārata duṣprakampaṃ śaraughiṇaṃ pratapantaṃ narendrān | bhīṣma na śekuḥ prativīkṣituṃ te śarārcīṣaṃ sūryam ivātapantam, bhārata!
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Bhārata, Bhīṣma—maharatha yang sukar digoncang—berdiri teguh lalu mencurahkan hujan anak panah, membakar para raja yang berpihak kepada Pāṇḍava. Menyala seperti matahari dan dilingkari sinar anak panah, baginda begitu menggerunkan hingga mereka tidak sanggup memandangnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overwhelming force of steadfast resolve and mastery in one’s duty (kṣatriya-dharma). At the same time, it gestures toward the ethical complexity of the Mahābhārata: even a venerable, principled elder like Bhīṣma can become an instrument of devastation when bound by vows and loyalties in a civil war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma stands firm on the battlefield, releasing dense volleys of arrows that torment the Pāṇḍava-aligned kings. Bhīṣma appears radiant and unbearable to face—likened to the blazing sun—so that opponents cannot even look directly at him.