Shloka 54
गौरुडव्यूह-रचना तथा अर्धचन्द्र-प्रत्यव्यूह
Garuḍa Array and the Ardhacandra Counter-Formation
विव्याध पज्चविंशत्या तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् । तदनन्तर श्वेतने पुनः झुकी हुई गाँठवाले पचीस बाणोंसे शान्तनुनन्दन भीष्मको बींध डाला। वह एक अद्भुत-सी घटना हुई ।।
vivyādha pañcaviṁśatyā tad adbhutam ivābhavat | tad-anantaraṁ śvetena punaḥ śāntanunandanaṁ bhīṣmaṁ vivyādha pañcaviṁśati-bāṇaiḥ | sa tad adbhutam ivābhavat || bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavas tadā taṁ pratyavidhyad daśabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya thưa: Śveta bắn xuyên Bhīṣma, con của Śāntanu, bằng hai mươi lăm mũi tên; tưởng như một điều kỳ dị. Ngay sau đó, Śveta lại đánh tiếp bằng hai mươi lăm mũi tên nữa. Rồi đúng lúc ấy, Bhīṣma, con của Śāntanu, phản kích, bắn trúng chàng bằng mười mũi tên.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma in its stark form: in a righteous war, even revered elders like Bhīṣma must meet force with force. The ‘marvel’ is not moral approval of violence, but the extraordinary prowess and steadfastness shown while each warrior remains bound to duty and role.
Sañjaya reports a rapid exchange: Śveta (a warrior on the Pāṇḍava side in this episode) pierces Bhīṣma with twenty-five arrows—an astonishing feat—then strikes him again with twenty-five. Bhīṣma immediately answers by piercing Śveta with ten arrows.