Shloka 316
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
आजपघानोरससि क्रुद्ध इच्छन् भीष्मस्य जीवितम् । तदनन्तर भीष्मके जीवनकी रक्षा चाहनेवाले कृपाचार्यने समरांगणमें भार सहन करनेमें समर्थ दूसरा धनुष लेकर अत्यन्त हर्षके साथ सहदेवकी छातीमें क्रोधपूर्वक दस तीखे बाण मारे
ājapaghānorasasi kruddha icchan bhīṣmasya jīvitam | tadanantaraṃ bhīṣmake jīvanakī rakṣā cāhanevāle kṛpācāryane samarāṅgaṇeṃ bhāra sahan karanemeṃ samartha dūsarā dhanuṣ lekar atyanta harṣake sāth sahadevaki chātīmeṃ krodhapūrvak daśa tīkṣṇa bāṇ māre |
Disse Sañjaya: Ardendo de ira e desejando tirar a vida de Bhīṣma, ele apertou o ataque. Então Kṛpācārya, querendo proteger a vida de Bhīṣma, tomou outro arco capaz de suportar o peso do combate e, com furor implacável mas com resolução jubilosa, atingiu Sahadeva no peito com dez flechas agudas.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, actions are often framed as dharma-driven obligations—here, the duty of a senior warrior to protect a revered commander (Bhishma). Yet the passage also shows the ethical tension: protective loyalty can manifest through violence, perpetuating escalation.
As an attack threatens Bhishma’s life, Kripacharya intervenes on the battlefield, takes up a strong bow, and shoots Sahadeva in the chest with ten sharp arrows to repel the threat and safeguard Bhishma.