Shloka 20
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
सुदक्षिणस्तु समरे पुनर्विव्याध पड्चभि: | सारथिं चास्य नवभिरिच्छन् भीष्मस्य जीवितम्
saudakṣiṇas tu samare punar vivyādha pañcabhiḥ | sārathiṃ cāsya navabhir icchan bhīṣmasya jīvitam |
Санджая сказал: В самой гуще сражения царь Саудакшина вновь поразил Абхиманью пятью стрелами; и ещё девятью ранил его возничего — действуя с намерением уберечь жизнь Бхишмы.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds a wartime ethic of allegiance and strategic responsibility: a warrior’s actions are driven not only by personal valor but also by the perceived duty to protect a revered commander (Bhīṣma). It also implicitly raises the moral tension of pursuing protection through intensified violence.
Sañjaya reports that the Kāmboja king Saudakṣiṇa, aiming to preserve Bhīṣma’s safety, shoots Abhimanyu again—five arrows at Abhimanyu and nine at his charioteer—thereby trying to weaken Abhimanyu’s mobility and effectiveness on the battlefield.