Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 33
भीष्मस्य अप्रतिमपराक्रमः — शिखण्डिपुरस्कृतः प्रहारः
Bhīṣma’s unmatched momentum and the assault with Śikhaṇḍin in the lead
ते तस्य कवचं भित्त्वा पपु: शोणितमाहवे,(यथैव पन्नगा राजंस्तटाकं तृषितास्तथा ।) वे नाराच रणक्षेत्रमें दःशासनका कवच विदीर्ण करके उसका रक्त पीने लगे, मानो प्यासे सर्प तालाबमें घुस गये हों
te tasya kavacaṁ bhittvā papuḥ śoṇitam āhave, yathaiva pannagā rājan taṭākaṁ tṛṣitās tathā
桑阇耶说道：他们在战阵之中击碎其甲胄，竟饮其血——大王啊，恰如渴蛇入池。此喻昭示战争已坠入无情的凶残：复仇与屠戮的狂热遮蔽了刹帝利常守的界限。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war can erode ethical restraint: the comparison to thirsty serpents conveys a loss of human moderation and a turn toward predatory violence, warning that vengeance and rage can overwhelm dharmic limits even among warriors.
In Sañjaya’s report to the king, certain fighters pierce and shatter a warrior’s armour on the battlefield and drink his blood; the act is likened to thirsty snakes entering a pond, emphasizing the scene’s savage intensity.