Shloka 11
Chapter 89: Bhīma dispatched to protect Ghaṭotkaca amid escalating engagements
त॑ तु छित्त्वा रणे भीष्मो नाराचं कालसम्मितम् | निजघ्ने कौरवेन्द्रस्य हयान् काड्चनभूषणान्
taṁ tu chittvā raṇe bhīṣmo nārācaṁ kāla-sammitam | nijaghne kauravendrasya hayān kāñcana-bhūṣaṇān ||
Disse Sañjaya: No auge da batalha, Bhīṣma cortou aquela flecha —terrível como a própria Morte— e em seguida abateu os cavalos do rei dos Kurus (Yudhiṣṭhira), cavalos adornados com enfeites de ouro.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh logic of kṣatriya-dharma in war: duty and allegiance can compel even venerable figures like Bhīṣma to use decisive, disabling force. It also evokes Kāla (Time/Death) to stress the inevitability and terror of battle’s consequences.
Bhīṣma, fighting on the Kaurava side, cuts down a deadly nārāca arrow and then kills the horses of the Kuru king identified here with Yudhiṣṭhira—an act aimed at crippling the opponent’s chariot mobility and combat effectiveness.