Shloka 31
Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
ततः शान्तनवो भीष्म: सैन्यं दृष्टवाभिविद्रुतम् । महता शरवर्षेण सौभद्रं पर्यवारयत्,तदनन्तर अपनी सेनाको भागती हुई देख शान्तनु-नन्दन भीष्मने बड़ी भारी बाण-वर्षा करके सुभद्राकुमार अभिमन्युको रोक दिया
tataḥ śāntanavo bhīṣmaḥ sainyaṃ dṛṣṭvābhividrutam | mahatā śaravarṣeṇa saubhadraṃ paryavārayat ||
Disse Sañjaya: Então Bhīṣma, filho de Śāntanu, ao ver o seu exército correr em desordem, conteve Saubhadra (Abhimanyu) ao desencadear uma grande chuva de flechas—refreando o avanço do jovem guerreiro e firmando a linha dos Kuru em meio ao tumulto da batalha.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the ethics of kṣatriya-dharma, a commander must restore order when troops falter: Bhīṣma responds to panic not with despair but with disciplined force and tactical restraint, protecting his side by checking a dangerous advance.
Bhīṣma sees the Kuru forces rushing in disorder and counters the immediate threat posed by Abhimanyu by releasing a heavy volley of arrows, thereby halting or containing Abhimanyu and stabilizing the battlefield situation.