Shloka 28
तत: शरसहस्रेण सौभद्रं प्रपितामह: । अवाकिरदमेयात्मा तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्,तब अमेय आत्मबलसे सम्पन्न प्रपितामह भीष्मने सुभद्राकुमारपर हजारों बाणोंकी वर्षा की। वह एक अद्भुत-सी घटना प्रतीत हुई
tataḥ śarasahasreṇa saubhadraṁ prapitāmahaḥ | avākirad ameyātmā tad adbhutam ivābhavat |
Sañjaya berkata: “Kemudian Datuk Agung Bhīṣma, yang jiwa dan keperkasaannya tidak terukur, menghujani Abhimanyu—putera Subhadrā—dengan ribuan anak panah. Pemandangan itu tampak seakan-akan menakjubkan, walaupun berlangsung di tengah etika perang yang suram, tempat keberanian diuji oleh kekuatan yang melimpah-ruah.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its stark form: in war, excellence and resolve are measured under extreme pressure. It also implies that extraordinary skill can make even violent action appear ‘adbhuta’ (awe-inspiring), reminding the reader to distinguish aesthetic marvel from moral cost.
Sañjaya narrates that Bhīṣma, the Kuru grandsire, attacks Abhimanyu (Saubhadra) by raining thousands of arrows upon him, creating a striking and astonishing battlefield scene.