Shloka 1036
गौरुडव्यूह-रचना तथा अर्धचन्द्र-प्रत्यव्यूह
Garuḍa Array and the Ardhacandra Counter-Formation
देवदूतवच: श्रुत्वा वधे तस्य मनो दे | उस कटे हुए धनुषको फेंककर पितामह भीष्मने देवदूतके कथनपर ध्यान देकर तुरंत ही श्वेतके वधका निश्चय किया
devadūta-vacaḥ śrutvā vadhe tasya mano dadhe | utsṛjya chinnaṃ dhanuḥ śvetasya vadha-niścayaṃ pitāmaho bhīṣmaḥ kṛtavān ||
देवदूतवचः श्रुत्वा तस्य वधे मनो दधे। छिन्नं धनुः परित्यज्य पितामहो भीष्मः तद्वाक्यं सम्यगवधार्य क्षणादेव श्वेतवधं निश्चिच्छेद॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights steadfastness of will in a dharmic crisis: a warrior-leader, upon receiving what is presented as a higher (divine) directive, subordinates personal hesitation to duty and resolves to act decisively within the rules and necessities of battle.
Sañjaya narrates that Bhīṣma hears a divine messenger’s words and, after his bow is cut/broken, throws it aside and immediately forms a firm determination to slay Śveta in the ongoing war episode.