Shloka 40
Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)
यस्मिन् द्वीपे समाश्वस्य युध्यन्ते कुरव: परै: । त॑ निमग्नं नरव्याप्र॑ भीष्मं शंससि संजय,संजय! जिन द्वीपस्वरूप भीष्मजीके आश्रयमें निर्भय एवं निश्चिन्त होकर समस्त कौरव शत्रुओंके साथ युद्ध करते थे, उन्हीं नरश्रेष्ठ भीष्मको तुम मारा गया बता रहे हो, यह कितने दुःखकी बात है?
yasmin dvīpe samāśvasya yudhyante kuravaḥ paraiḥ | taṁ nimagnaṁ naravyāghra bhīṣmaṁ śaṁsasi sañjaya sañjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra disse: “Sañjaya, foi sob o amparo de Bhīṣma—como uma ilha em meio à inundação—que os Kauravas lutaram contra o inimigo com confiança e sem temor. E, no entanto, tu relatas que Bhīṣma, tigre entre os homens, foi derrubado. Quão doloroso é isso!”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the fragility of worldly supports: even the mightiest protector, relied upon as a ‘safe island’ in the chaos of war, can fall. It underscores how attachment to power and protection leads to intense grief when impermanence asserts itself.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reacts to Sañjaya’s report that Bhīṣma has been brought down in battle. He recalls how the Kauravas fought confidently under Bhīṣma’s protection and expresses shock and sorrow that such a stalwart has fallen.