Shloka 18
Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)
कथं भीष्मेण संग्रामं प्राकुर्वन् पाण्डुनन्दना: । कथं च नाजयद् भीष्मो द्रोणे जीवति संजय,संजय! पाण्डवोंने भीष्मके साथ संग्राम कैसे किया? द्रोणाचार्यके जीते-जी भीष्म विजयी कैसे नहीं हो सके?
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
kathaṁ bhīṣmeṇa saṅgrāmaṁ prākurvan pāṇḍu-nandanāḥ |
kathaṁ ca nājayad bhīṣmo droṇe jīvati, sañjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Wahai Sañjaya! Bagaimana putera-putera Pāṇḍu sanggup berperang melawan Bhīṣma? Dan ketika Droṇa masih hidup, mengapa Bhīṣma tidak memperoleh kemenangan?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between reputation and outcome in dharmic warfare: even the greatest warriors are constrained by circumstance, vows, loyalties, and the complex interplay of strategy and destiny. It also shows Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s anxious attachment to victory and his reliance on Sañjaya’s truthful narration.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya to explain two things: how the Pāṇḍavas dared to engage Bhīṣma in battle, and why Bhīṣma did not achieve decisive victory while Droṇa—another supreme commander—was still alive. The question anticipates an account of battlefield dynamics, command decisions, and the limits placed upon Bhīṣma’s effectiveness.