Shloka 456
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
नाराचेन सुतीक्ष्णेन रुक्मपुड्खेन संयुगे | तदनन्तर सोमदत्तकुमारने युद्धस्थलमें सुवर्णमय पंखसे युक्त अत्यन्त तीखे नाराचद्वारा भीमसेनकी छातीमें प्रहार किया
sañjaya uvāca | nārācena sutīkṣṇena rukmapuṅkhena saṃyuge | tadanantaraṃ somadattakumāreṇa yuddhasthale suvarṇamaya-paṅkha-yuktenātyanta-tīkṣṇa-nārācena bhīmasenasya chātiṃ prahṛtā |
Wika ni Sañjaya: Pagkaraan, sa kasagsagan ng labanan, tinamaan ng anak ni Somadatta ang dibdib ni Bhīmasena ng isang nārāca na ubod-talim, may baras na may gintong balahibo. Ipinakikita nito ang walang-humpay na katumpakan ng digmaan—kung saan ang galing ay nasusukat sa pagpipigil at pagtudla—habang sinusubok ng karahasan ang paninindigan sa kṣatriya-dharma sa gitna ng tumitinding alitan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya world of disciplined martial skill: even amid hatred and chaos, a warrior’s duty is expressed through controlled aim and steadfast engagement. Ethically, it points to how war magnifies both prowess and the moral burden of inflicting harm.
Sanjaya reports that Somadatta’s son (Bhūriśravas) shoots Bhima in the chest with an extremely sharp nārāca arrow fitted with golden feathering, describing a specific strike within the ongoing Kurukṣetra battle.