Shloka 119
संन्यस्य वीरा: शस्त्राणि प्राध्यायन्त समन्ततः । शक्तिशाली गंगानन्दन भीष्मके मारे जानेपर सब ओर दोनों सेनाओंके सब वीर अपने अस्त्र-शस्त्र नीचे डालकर भारी चिन्तामें निमग्न हो गये || ११८ है ।।
saṃnyasya vīrāḥ śastrāṇi prādhāyanta samantataḥ | prākrośan prādravanś cānye jagmur mohaṃ tathāpare ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Apabila Bhīṣma yang perkasa, putera Gaṅgā, ditumbangkan, para pahlawan di setiap penjuru dari kedua-dua bala tentera meletakkan senjata dan tenggelam dalam kegelisahan yang berat. Ada yang menjerit dan meratap, ada yang lari bertempiaran, dan ada pula yang diliputi kebingungan hingga terkulai.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a dharma-framed war, the collapse of a revered elder exposes the fragility of human resolve: grief, fear, and delusion can overwhelm discipline. The passage highlights the ethical weight of violence and the psychological cost borne by all sides.
After Bhīṣma is felled, the battlefield momentarily breaks its momentum: warriors lay down weapons, many cry out, some flee, and others faint or become stupefied. Sañjaya reports this collective shock as a turning point in the war’s atmosphere.