Shloka 76
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
आजपघानोरससि क्रुद्धो मार्गणैर्नवभि: शितै: । कुपित हुए दुर्योधनने भी महारथी भीमसेनको उस युद्धमें उनकी छातीको लक्ष्य करके नौ तीखे बाण मारे
sañjaya uvāca | ajapaghānorasasi kruddho mārgaṇair navabhiḥ śitaiḥ | labdhalakṣyaḥ prahārī ca vayaṃ ca śrāntavāhanāḥ | pāñcālaiḥ pāṇḍaveyaiś ca divaṃsaṃ kṣatavikṣatāḥ |
Санджая сказал: В ярости Дурьодхана поразил широкую грудь Бхимасены девятью острыми стрелами, и каждая легла точно в цель. Он — меткий стрелок и искусный нападающий; а наши кони и колесницы изнемогли, и весь день нас терзали и ранили Пандавы и Панчалы.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahabharata ethic: battlefield excellence (accurate aim, forceful striking) is real and admirable, yet it operates amid anger, exhaustion, and collective suffering—reminding the listener that martial success is not the same as moral rightness (dharma).
Sanjaya reports that Duryodhana, furious, shoots Bhima in the chest with nine sharp arrows. He then notes Duryodhana’s effectiveness as a marksman while contrasting it with the Kaurava side’s fatigue—especially their exhausted mounts—and their being battered throughout the day by the Pandavas and the Panchalas.