Shloka 49
विधूय तान् बाणगणान् ये मुक्ता: पार्थिवोत्तमै: ४८ ।।
vidhūya tān bāṇagaṇān ye muktāḥ pārthivottamaiḥ | pāṇḍavānām adīnātma vyagāhat varūthinīm || cakre śaravighātaṃ ca krīḍann iva pitāmahaḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: Setelah menggugurkan hujan anak panah yang dilepaskan oleh raja-raja terunggul, Bhīṣma—yang tidak gentar jiwanya—menerobos masuk ke dalam susunan tempur besar pihak Pāṇḍava. Di sana sang datuk, seolah-olah bermain, mula mematahkan senjata dan peluru para pahlawan dengan anak panahnya sendiri, memperlihatkan penguasaan perang, namun batinnya tetap dituntun oleh pengekangan diri dan ingatan akan ikrar-ikrar lama.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid righteous warfare, mastery is not merely force but disciplined restraint: Bhīṣma’s prowess is paired with an inner governance shaped by memory of vows and ethical limits, showing that dharma operates through self-control as much as through courage.
Bhīṣma brushes aside the arrows shot by leading warriors and boldly enters the Pandavas’ formation. He then disables their weapons and missiles with his own arrows, fighting with effortless skill, ‘as if playing,’ while remaining mindful of constraints that temper his actions.