Shloka 5
।। संदीप्तशरचापाग्निरस्त्रप्रसूतमारुत:,अताडयन् रणे भीष्मं सहिता: सर्वसृञज्जया: । समस्त सूंजय वीर एक साथ संगठित हो भयंकर शतघ्नी, परिघ, फरसे, मुद्गर, मुसल, प्रास, गोफन, स्वर्णमय पंखवाले बाण, शक्ति, तोमर, कम्पन, नाराच, वत्सदन््त और भुशुण्डी आदि अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंद्वारा रणभूमिमें भीष्मको सब ओरसे पीड़ा देने लगे
sañjaya uvāca | saṃdīpta-śara-cāpāgnir astra-prasūta-mārutaḥ, atāḍayan raṇe bhīṣmaṃ sahitāḥ sarva-sṛñjayāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The Sṛñjaya warriors, all acting in close formation, assailed Bhīṣma on the battlefield—like a blazing fire fed by the wind raised from weapons—striking him from every side with volleys of arrows and the force of their arms. The scene underscores the grim ethic of war: even the most venerable elder is relentlessly targeted once he stands as the foremost pillar of the opposing cause.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh dharma of kṣatriya warfare: once a warrior takes the field as the main support of an army, even age and venerability do not exempt him from being opposed with full force. It also uses vivid metaphor to show how collective, coordinated action can overwhelm even a legendary fighter.
Sañjaya describes the Sṛñjaya forces attacking Bhīṣma in concert during the Kurukṣetra battle. Their arrows and weapons create a ‘battle-fire’ and a ‘weapon-born wind,’ and they strike Bhīṣma from all sides.