Shloka 25
त॑ क्षत्रिया महाराज ददृशुर्घोरमाहवे । भीष्मं दहन्तं सैन्यानि पाण्डवानां महात्मनाम्,महाराज! उस युद्धस्थलमें समस्त क्षत्रियोंने देखा, भयंकर रूपधारी भीष्म महामना पाण्डवोंकी सेनाओंको दग्ध कर रहे थे
taṁ kṣatriyā mahārāja dadṛśur ghoram āhave | bhīṣmaṁ dahantaṁ sainyāni pāṇḍavānāṁ mahātmanām ||
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, dalam pertempuran yang menggerunkan itu para kṣatriya menyaksikan Bhīṣma—mengerikan dalam rupa perangnya—membakar hangus bala tentera para Pāṇḍava yang berhati agung.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension within dharma during war: a revered elder like Bhīṣma, acting from kṣatriya-duty and loyalty to his side, becomes a fearsome force of destruction. It invites reflection on how duty, vows, and allegiance can lead to ethically tragic outcomes even for the noble.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warriors on the battlefield witnessed Bhīṣma in a terrifying combat mode, cutting down and ‘burning’ (i.e., devastating) the forces of the Pāṇḍavas.