Shloka 36
Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)
वामे चक्रे वर्तमाना: के5घ्नन् संजय सूंजयान् । अग्रतो5ग्र्यमनीकेषु के भ्यरक्षन् दुरासदम्
vāme cakre vartamānāḥ ke ghnan sañjaya sūñjayān | agrato 'gryam anīkeṣu ke 'bhyarakṣan durāsadaṃ sañjaya ||
ธฤตราษฏระตรัสว่า— “สัญชัย ผู้ใดเป็นนักรบประจำปีกซ้าย คอยพิทักษ์อย่างมุ่งมั่น จนสังหารพวกสูญชัย? และผู้ใดเล่ายืนอยู่เบื้องหน้าในกองทัพชั้นยอด คุ้มครองภีษมะผู้เข้าถึงได้ยากจากทุกทิศทุกทาง?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and strategic weight of war-leadership: armies do not move as anonymous masses—responsibility is distributed through roles (left-wing defense, vanguard protection). Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s questions underscore accountability for violence (who killed whom) and for safeguarding a commander, reminding the listener that outcomes arise from deliberate choices and assigned duties.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra asks Sañjaya for a detailed report of the battle: which Kaurava warriors held the left wing and destroyed the Sūñjayas, and which warriors stood at the front to protect the formidable Bhīṣma on all sides. It is a tactical inquiry aimed at understanding how Bhīṣma’s position was secured and how the fighting unfolded in specific sectors.