Shloka 6
Bhīṣma on the Śara-Śayyā: Yudhiṣṭhira and Kṛṣṇa Approach the Eldest for Śānti
ततस्ते ददृशुर्भीष्मं शरप्रस्तरशायिनम् । स्वरश्मिजालसंवीतं सायंसूर्यसमप्रभम्,उन्होंने देखा कि भीष्मजी शरशय्यापर सो रहे हैं और अपनी किरणोंसे घिरे हुए सायंकालिक सूर्यके समान प्रकाशित होते हैं
tatas te dadṛśur bhīṣmaṁ śaraprastaraśāyinam | svaraśmijālasaṁvītaṁ sāyaṁsūryasamaprabham ||
Kemudian mereka melihat Bhīṣma berbaring di atas hamparan anak panah yang tersusun rapat, dilingkari jalinan sinar dirinya sendiri, bersinar dengan keagungan matahari senja.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents Bhīṣma as a model of disciplined endurance: even while pierced and immobilized on the arrow-bed, he retains a luminous dignity. Ethically, it signals that inner steadiness and commitment to dharma can persist despite pain and the moral wreckage of war.
After the great war, the approaching party (implied by 'they') comes to Bhīṣma and sees him lying on the arrow-bed. He appears surrounded by radiance, compared to the evening sun—setting the solemn atmosphere for the ensuing instruction in Śānti Parva.