Mahabharata — Bhishma Parva, Shloka 316
भीष्मस्य शरशय्या-प्राप्तिः
Bhīṣma’s Fall to the Arrow-Bed
आजपघानोरससि क्रुद्ध इच्छन् भीष्मस्य जीवितम् । तदनन्तर भीष्मके जीवनकी रक्षा चाहनेवाले कृपाचार्यने समरांगणमें भार सहन करनेमें समर्थ दूसरा धनुष लेकर अत्यन्त हर्षके साथ सहदेवकी छातीमें क्रोधपूर्वक दस तीखे बाण मारे
ājapaghānorasasi kruddha icchan bhīṣmasya jīvitam | tadanantaraṃ bhīṣmake jīvanakī rakṣā cāhanevāle kṛpācāryane samarāṅgaṇeṃ bhāra sahan karanemeṃ samartha dūsarā dhanuṣ lekar atyanta harṣake sāth sahadevaki chātīmeṃ krodhapūrvak daśa tīkṣṇa bāṇ māre |
三阇耶曰：他怒火炽盛，欲取毗湿摩之命，遂紧逼攻势。其后，欲护毗湿摩性命的克利帕阿阇黎取起另一张能承受战阵重负之弓，怀着凛烈的愤怒而又因尽忠而心生欢决，向萨诃提婆胸前连射十支锐利之箭。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in war, actions are often framed as dharma-driven obligations—here, the duty of a senior warrior to protect a revered commander (Bhishma). Yet the passage also shows the ethical tension: protective loyalty can manifest through violence, perpetuating escalation.
As an attack threatens Bhishma’s life, Kripacharya intervenes on the battlefield, takes up a strong bow, and shoots Sahadeva in the chest with ten sharp arrows to repel the threat and safeguard Bhishma.