Shloka 7
Virāṭa’s Conciliation and Uttara’s Account of the Unseen Champion
Bṛhannadā/Arjuna
तब पराक्रमी भीष्मने पार्थकी ध्वजापर फुफकारते हुए सर्पोके समान अत्यन्त वेगशाली आठ बाण मारे ।। ते ध्वजं पाण्डुपुत्रस्य समासाद्य पतत्त्रिण: । ज्वलन्तं कपिमाजलण्नुर्ध्वजाग्रनिलयांश्व॒ तान्,उन बाणोंने पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनकी ध्वजाके समीप पहुँचकर वहाँ बैठे हुए तेजस्वी वानरको तथा ध्वजके अग्रभागमें निवास करनेवाले अन्य भूतोंको भी गहरी चोट पहुँचायी
tataḥ parākrāmī bhīṣmaḥ pārthakī-dhvajopari phūtkāraṃ kurvataḥ sarpasyeva atyanta-vegaśīlān aṣṭau bāṇān mumoca | te patattriṇaḥ pāṇḍuputrasya dhvajaṃ samāsādya jvalantaṃ kapim ājaghanur dhvajāgra-nilayān anyān bhūtagaṇān api ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: Ketika itu Bhīṣma yang gagah, bagaikan ular mendesis, melepaskan lapan anak panah yang amat laju ke arah panji Arjuna. Anak-anak panah bersayap itu mengenai panji putera Pāṇḍu, mencederakan lambang kera yang menyala-nyala serta makhluk-makhluk lain yang dikatakan bersemayam di hujung panji.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, symbols (like a warrior’s banner and its sacred emblems) carry moral and psychological weight; striking them is a tactic aimed at destabilizing resolve, showing that battles are fought not only with weapons but also with courage, identity, and perceived protection.
Bhīṣma releases eight very swift arrows that reach Arjuna’s standard and hit the radiant monkey emblem (Hanumān) and other beings associated with the banner’s tip, indicating a fierce exchange where Bhīṣma targets Arjuna’s dhvaja rather than only his body.