Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 35
भीष्मस्य अप्रतिमपराक्रमः — शिखण्डिपुरस्कृतः प्रहारः
Bhīṣma’s unmatched momentum and the assault with Śikhaṇḍin in the lead
ललाटस्थैस्तु तैर्बाणै: शुशुभे पाण्डवो रणे | यथा मेरुर्महाराज शज्ैरत्यर्थमुच्छितै:
sañjaya uvāca | lalāṭasthais tu tair bāṇaiḥ śuśubhe pāṇḍavo raṇe | yathā merur mahārāja śṛṅgair atyartham ucchitaiḥ ||
Санджая сказал: Со стрелами, засевшими у него во лбу, сын Панду сиял на поле брани. О великий царь, он был подобен горе Меру, великолепной своими непомерно высокими вершинами,—и раны его, по воинскому закону стойкости, становились знаками неослабной решимости среди грохота оружия.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfast courage: even when visibly wounded, a righteous warrior does not lose composure, and endurance itself becomes a kind of splendor—strength directed toward one’s duty in the midst of conflict.
Sañjaya describes Arjuna in the thick of battle, with arrows stuck in his forehead, yet still radiant and formidable. He uses a simile: Arjuna’s appearance is compared to Mount Meru adorned with towering peaks.