Shloka 31
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
सोअन्यत् कार्मुकमादाय समरे भारसाधनम् | माद्रीपुत्रं सुसंहृष्टो दशभिर्निशितै: शरै:
so 'nyat kārmukam ādāya samare bhārasādhanam | mādrīputraṁ susaṁhṛṣṭo daśabhir niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian, setelah mengangkat sebuah busur yang lain—senjata yang mampu menanggung beban pertempuran—dia, dalam kegirangan yang meluap, memanah putera Mādrī dengan sepuluh anak panah yang tajam menghiris.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of steadfast action in battle—skill, readiness, and resolve—while implicitly reminding the reader that even justified warfare carries moral gravity when directed against worthy opponents.
In Sañjaya’s battlefield report, a warrior takes up a different, sturdier bow and, in high spirits, shoots Mādrī’s son with ten sharp arrows, intensifying the combat.