Shloka 54
गौरुडव्यूह-रचना तथा अर्धचन्द्र-प्रत्यव्यूह
Garuḍa Array and the Ardhacandra Counter-Formation
विव्याध पज्चविंशत्या तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् । तदनन्तर श्वेतने पुनः झुकी हुई गाँठवाले पचीस बाणोंसे शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्मको बींध डाला। वह एक अद्भुत-सी घटना हुई ।। ५३ है ।। त॑ प्रत्यविध्यद् दशभिर्भीष्म: शान्तनवस्तदा
vivyādha pañcaviṁśatyā tad adbhutam ivābhavat | tad-anantaraṁ śvetena punaḥ śāntanunandanaṁ bhīṣmaṁ vivyādha pañcaviṁśati-bāṇaiḥ | sa tad adbhutam ivābhavat || bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavas tadā taṁ pratyavidhyad daśabhiḥ ||
विव्याध पञ्चविंशत्या तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् । तं प्रत्यविध्यद् दशभिर्भीष्मः शान्तनवस्तदा ॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma in its stark form: in a righteous war, even revered elders like Bhīṣma must meet force with force. The ‘marvel’ is not moral approval of violence, but the extraordinary prowess and steadfastness shown while each warrior remains bound to duty and role.
Sañjaya reports a rapid exchange: Śveta (a warrior on the Pāṇḍava side in this episode) pierces Bhīṣma with twenty-five arrows—an astonishing feat—then strikes him again with twenty-five. Bhīṣma immediately answers by piercing Śveta with ten arrows.