Shloka 34
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
ततो भीमस्टत्रिभिविद्ध्वा भीष्मं शान्तनवं रणे | कृपमेकेन विव्याध कृतवर्माणमष्टभि:,तब भीमसेनने उस रणक्षेत्रमें शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्मको तीन बाणोंसे घायल करके कृपाचार्यको एक और कृतवर्माको आठ बाणोंसे बेध दिया
tato bhīmas tatra tribhir viddhvā bhīṣmaṃ śāntanavaṃ raṇe | kṛpam ekena vivyādha kṛtavarmāṇam aṣṭabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian Bhīma, di medan itu, memanah Bhīṣma—putera Śāntanu—dengan tiga anak panah; dia menikam Kripa dengan satu anak panah dan Kṛtavarman dengan lapan. Laporan ini menegaskan ketepatan perang yang tidak mengenal henti: bahkan para tua dan guru yang dihormati pun dianggap lawan apabila mereka berdiri bersenjata, dan keperkasaan diukur dengan tenaga yang terkawal, bukan semata-mata amarah.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of kṣatriya-duty: once war is joined, even venerable figures like Bhishma and Kripa are engaged as armed opponents. Strength is shown through disciplined, proportionate action—targeted strikes rather than uncontrolled violence—within the grim framework of righteous warfare.
Sanjaya reports a specific exchange in the Kurukshetra war: Bhima shoots Bhishma with three arrows, then hits Kripa with one arrow, and Krtavarman with eight, marking Bhima’s aggressive advance against key Kaurava champions.