Shloka 19
Bhīṣma-nipāta-saṃvāda — Sañjaya’s Report of Bhīṣma’s Fall (भीष्मनिपातसंवादः)
कृपे संनिहिते तत्र भरद्वाजात्मजे तथा । भीष्म: प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठ; कथं स निधनं गत:,उस युद्धमें कृपाचार्य तथा भरद्वाजपुत्र द्रोणाचार्य दोनों ही उनके निकट थे, तो भी योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ भीष्म कैसे मारे गये?
kṛpe saṃnihite tatra bharadvājātmaje tathā | bhīṣmaḥ praharatāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ kathaṃ sa nidhanaṃ gataḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra nói: “Khi Kṛpa và Droṇa—con của Bharadvāja—đều ở đó, kề bên ngài, vì sao Bhīṣma, bậc đứng đầu trong những chiến sĩ tung đòn nơi chiến trận, lại phải đi đến cái chết?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between martial excellence and vulnerability: even the greatest warrior can fall despite strong allies. It invites reflection on dharma and the limits of protection—skill and support do not guarantee outcomes when larger forces (strategy, vows, destiny, moral constraints) shape events.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya about Bhīṣma’s downfall. He notes that Kṛpa and Droṇa were nearby on the battlefield, and wonders how Bhīṣma—renowned as the best among fighters—could nevertheless be brought to a fatal end.