Shloka 66
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
भीष्मं च शरवर्षाणि सृजन्तमनिशं युधि । प्रतपन्तमिवादित्यं मध्यमासाद्य सेनयो:
bhīṣmaṃ ca śaravarṣāṇi sṛjantam aniśaṃ yudhi | pratapantam ivādityaṃ madhyam āsādya senayoḥ ||
அவன் கண்டான்—பீஷ்மன் போரில் இடைவிடாது அம்புமழை பொழிந்து, இரு சேனைகளின் நடுவே நின்று, எரியும் சூரியனைப் போலத் தகித்துக் கொண்டிருந்தான்।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of kṣatriya-dharma in war: extraordinary martial power can appear ‘sun-like’ and irresistible, yet it also intensifies collective suffering. It invites reflection on how duty, prowess, and destruction coexist on the battlefield.
Sañjaya reports Bhīṣma’s dominant performance: he stands between the two armies and continuously rains arrows, shining and scorching like the sun, thereby breaking the Pāṇḍava ranks and creating a near-apocalyptic scene in Yudhiṣṭhira’s forces.