Shloka 78
यः सम्प्राप्य रणे भीष्म जीविते सम मनो दथे । राजन! उस समय सोमकोंमें एक भी महारथी ऐसा नहीं था, जो युद्धभूमिमें भीष्मके पास पहुँचकर अपने मनमें जीवन-रक्षाकी आशा रखता हो || ७७ $ ।। तांश्व सर्वान् रणे योधान् प्रेतराजपुरं प्रति
yaḥ samprāpya raṇe bhīṣmaṁ jīvite sama-mano dadhe | rājan! tadā somakeṣu naiko 'pi mahā-rathī yuddha-bhūmau bhīṣmasya samīpaṁ prāpya manasi jīvana-rakṣāyā āśāṁ dadhāna āsīt || tāṁś ca sarvān raṇe yodhān pretarāja-puraṁ prati ||
Sañjaya disse: “Ó rei, naquele tempo, entre os Somakas não havia sequer um único grande guerreiro de carro que, ao alcançar Bhīṣma no campo de batalha, pudesse manter a mente voltada para a sobrevivência ou nutrir alguma esperança de salvar a própria vida. Todos aqueles combatentes, naquele confronto, eram como que impelidos rumo à cidade do Senhor dos Mortos, Yama.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral gravity of war: when a warrior like Bhishma dominates the field, even the strongest lose hope of self-preservation, highlighting impermanence of life and the inevitability of death (Yama) amid kshatriya duty.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Bhishma’s presence in battle is so overwhelming that none among the Somaka great warriors can approach him while still expecting to survive; the fighting is portrayed as sending warriors toward Yama’s abode.