Shloka 65
भीष्मधनंजयद्वैरथम्
Bhīṣma–Dhanaṃjaya Duel and the Opening Clash
सदेवासुरगन्धर्वैलॉकैरपि महारथौ । वहाँ आये हुए देवता, गन्धर्व, चारण और महर्षिगण उन दोनोंका पराक्रम देखकर आपसमें कहने लगे कि ये दोनों महारथी वीर रोषावेशमें भरे हुए हैं; अतः ये देवता, असुर और गन्धर्वोसहित सम्पूर्ण लोकोंके द्वारा भी किसी प्रकार जीते नहीं जा सकते ।।
sañjaya uvāca | sadevāsura-gandharva-lokair api mahārathau | tatra āgatā devatā gandharvāś cāraṇā maharṣayaś ca tayor vīryaṃ dṛṣṭvā parasparaṃ prāhuḥ—etau mahārathī vīra-rosāveśa-paripūrṇau; ataḥ sarva-lokaiḥ sadevāsuraiḥ sagandharvaiś ca kathaṃcid api na jetavyau || āścaryabhūtaṃ lokeṣu yuddham etan mahādbhutam | sadhanur sarathaḥ sāśvaḥ pravapan sāyakān raṇe | na bhaviṣyati bhūyo ’pi yuddham īdṛśam iti | buddhimān api pārtho raṇabhūmau bhīṣmaṃ kadācana na jetum arhati, yato ’sau samare ratha-aśva-dhanuḥ-samanvitaḥ bījavat sāyakān vikirati ||
Sañjaya berkata: Bahkan alam para dewa, asura dan gandharva pun menganggap kedua-duanya sebagai maharathi—pahlawan kereta perang yang tiada bandingan. Para dewa, gandharva, cāraṇa dan para maharishi yang berhimpun di sana, melihat keperkasaan mereka, berkata sesama sendiri: “Dua pahlawan agung ini dipenuhi amarah kepahlawanan; maka, sekalipun seluruh alam bergabung—termasuk dewa, asura dan gandharva—mereka tidak dapat ditaklukkan dengan apa jua cara.” “Pertempuran ini menjadi keajaiban bagi segala alam, sungguh luar biasa. Tidak akan ada lagi perang seperti ini. Bhīṣma berdiri di medan laga dengan busur, kereta dan kuda, menghujani anak panah seolah-olah menabur benih; maka Pārtha (Arjuna), walau bijaksana dan gagah, tidak mampu menewaskannya di medan perang.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the overwhelming force generated by disciplined martial skill combined with intense resolve, and how such power can appear ‘unconquerable’ even to cosmic observers. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s tension: admiration for kṣatriya prowess coexists with the sobering recognition that war magnifies wrath and inevitability, drawing even the wise into limits set by circumstance and destiny.
Sañjaya reports that divine and celestial beings—gods, Asuras, Gandharvas, Cāraṇas, and seers—watch the duel and marvel at it. They declare the combat unprecedented and say that Bhīṣma, fully equipped with chariot, horses, and bow, is raining arrows so fiercely that even Arjuna (Pārtha), despite his wisdom and prowess, cannot defeat him in that moment.