Shloka 14
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ११०: पार्थभीमयोः प्रहारः तथा भीष्माभिमुखं संग्रामविस्तारः
Arjuna and Bhima’s pressure; escalation toward Bhishma
(मम माधव सैन्येषु वध्यमानेषु तेन वै । कथं योत्स्याम दुर्धर्ष श्रेयो मे5त्र विधीयताम् ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
mama mādhava sainyeṣu vadhyamāneṣu tena vai |
kathaṃ yotsyāma durdharṣa śreyo me 'tra vidhīyatām ||
tvameva gatirasmākaṃ nānyāṃ gatimupāsmahe |
na yuddhaṃ rocate mahāṃ bhīṣmeṇa saha mādhava |
hanti bhīṣmo mahāvīro mama sainyaṃ ca saṃyuge ||
na caivainaṃ mahātmānamutsahāmo nirīkṣitum |
lelihāmānaṃ sainyeṣu pravṛddhamiva pāvakam ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Mādhava, ketika bala tentera kita dibunuh olehnya, bagaimana mungkin kita berperang melawan Bhīṣma yang sukar ditandingi itu? Tentukanlah di sini apa yang benar-benar terbaik bagiku. Engkaulah satu-satunya tempat perlindungan kami; kami tidak mencari naungan yang lain. Aku tidak berkenan berperang melawan Bhīṣma, wahai Mādhava. Namun Bhīṣma, pahlawan agung itu, terus membinasakan tenteraku di medan laga. Bahkan kami tidak sanggup memandang tokoh berjiwa besar itu, ketika dia mengamuk di tengah barisan seperti api yang menyala-nyala, menjilat habis segalanya dengan lidah anak panahnya.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic dilemma: even in a just or necessary war, fighting revered elders like Bhīṣma can feel ethically repugnant. It also shows the psychological need for a higher guide—addressing Mādhava as the sole refuge—when one’s own judgment is shaken by fear, reverence, and the scale of destruction.
Sañjaya reports the crisis caused by Bhīṣma’s overwhelming prowess on the battlefield. As Bhīṣma devastates the opposing troops like a raging fire, the speaker confesses reluctance to fight him and asks Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa) to determine the best course of action, acknowledging him as their only support.