Shloka 111
गौरुडव्यूह-रचना तथा अर्धचन्द्र-प्रत्यव्यूह
Garuḍa Array and the Ardhacandra Counter-Formation
वारयित्वा शरैघोरिे: श्वेतमेवाभिदुद्रुवे । भरतवंशियोंके उन पितामहने युद्धस्थलमें सौ बाणोंसे सात्यकिको
tataḥ śaraṁ mṛtyu-samaṁ bhāra-sādhanaṁ uttamam | tadanantaraṁ mahābalī bhīṣmaḥ dhanuṣaṁ khītvā tasmin mṛtyu-sadṛśaṁ bhīmaṁ bhāriṣṭhaṁ lakṣya-vedhane samarthaṁ uttamaṁ duḥsaha-pakṣa-yuktaṁ bāṇaṁ nyadhāt | tataḥ brahmāstreṇa abhimantrya taṁ mumoca |
Pagkaraan, hinila ng makapangyarihang Bhīṣma ang kaniyang busog at inilapat dito ang isang pambihirang palaso—mabigat, mahirap salagin, at kasing-lupit ng Kamatayan mismo, na kayang tumagos kahit sa pinakamahirap na puntirya. Matapos itong basbasan sa mantra ng Brahmāstra, pinakawalan niya. Ipinakikita ng tagpong ito ang madilim na pag-igting ng digmaan: ang di-karaniwang kapangyarihan ay tinatawag hindi upang magpigil, kundi upang maghatid ng ganap na pagwasak, at lalo nitong pinatitingkad ang tensiyong moral sa pagitan ng tungkuling mandirigma at ng mapaminsalang halaga ng tagumpay.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, the invocation of supreme power (Brahmāstra) intensifies destruction. It implicitly raises a dharmic question: even when one acts within kṣatriya-duty, the use of overwhelming force carries grave moral and human consequences.
Sañjaya describes Bhīṣma drawing his bow, placing a terrifying, heavy, fletched arrow upon it, empowering it with the Brahmāstra, and releasing it—signaling a decisive, high-stakes strike in the battle.