Shloka 426
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
धनंजयरथं शीघ्रं शरवर्षरवाकिरत् | तब बारंबार सिंहनाद करते हुए कुरुश्रेष्ठ भीष्मने धनंजयके रथपर शीघ्र ही बाणोंकी वर्षा आरम्भ कर दी
sañjaya uvāca | dhanañjaya-rathaṁ śīghraṁ śara-varṣa-ravākirat | tataḥ bāraṁbāraṁ siṁha-nādaṁ kurvan kuru-śreṣṭho bhīṣmaḥ dhanañjayasya rathe śīghram eva bāṇānāṁ varṣam ārabdhavān |
Sañjaya disse: Bhīṣma, o mais eminente dos Kurus, rugindo repetidas vezes como um leão, cobriu rapidamente o carro de Dhanañjaya com uma estrondosa chuva de flechas. No calor da batalha, o ataque implacável do ancião revela a dura ética da guerra kṣatriya: determinação inflexível e domínio das armas voltados para a vitória, mesmo contra um adversário sem par.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: steadfastness, disciplined aggression, and strategic skill in battle. Even revered elders like Bhishma act without hesitation when duty and allegiance demand it, illustrating how personal affection is subordinated to the obligations of one’s role in wartime.
Sanjaya describes Bhishma repeatedly giving a lion-like battle cry and unleashing a rapid, loud barrage of arrows that blankets Arjuna’s chariot, signaling an intense escalation in their confrontation on the battlefield.