वैशंपायन उवाच
ततः शांतनवो भीष्मो दुराधर्षः प्रतापवान् ॥
वध्यमानेषु योधेषु धनंजयम् उपाद्रवत् ॥
प्रगृह्य कार्मुकश्रेष्ठं जातरूपपरिष्कृतम् ॥
शरान् आदाय तीक्ष्णाग्रान् मर्मभेदप्रमाथिनः ॥
पाण्डुरेणातपत्रेण ध्रियमाणेन मूर्धनि ॥
शुशुभे स नरव्याघ्रो गिरिः सूर्योदये यथा ॥
प्रध्माय शङ्खं गाङ्गेयो धार्तराष्ट्रान् प्रहर्षयन् ॥
प्रदक्षिणम् उपावृत्य बीभत्सुं समवारयत् ॥
तम् उद्वीक्ष्य तथायान्तं कौन्तेयः परवीरहा ॥
प्रत्यगृह्णात् प्रहृष्टात्मा धाराधरम् इवाचलः ॥
ततो भीष्मः शरान् अष्टौ ध्वजे पार्थस्य वीर्यवान् ॥
समपर्यन् महावेगाञ् श्वसमानान् इवोरगान् ॥
ते ध्वजं पाण्डुपुत्रस्य समासाद्य पतत्रिणः ॥
ज्वलन्तः कपिम् आजघ्नुर् ध्वजाग्रनिलयांश् च तान् ॥
ततो भल्लेन महता पृथुधारेण पाण्डवः ॥
छत्रं चिच्छेद भीष्मस्य तूर्णं तद् अपतद् भुवि ॥
ध्वजं चैवास्य कौन्तेयः शरैर् अभ्यहनद् दृढम् ॥
शीघ्रकृद् रथवाहांश् च तथोभौ पार्ष्णिसारथी ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
tataḥ śāṃtanavo bhīṣmo durādharṣaḥ pratāpavān ||
vadhyamāneṣu yodheṣu dhanaṃjayam upādravat ||
pragṛhya kārmukaśreṣṭhaṃ jātarūpapariṣkṛtam ||
śarān ādāya tīkṣṇāgrān marmabhedapramāthinaḥ ||
pāṇḍureṇātapatreṇa dhriyamāṇena mūrdhani ||
śuśubhe sa naravyāghro giriḥ sūryodaye yathā ||
pradhmāya śaṅkhaṃ gāṅgeyo dhārtarāṣṭrān praharṣayan ||
pradakṣiṇam upāvṛtya bībhatsuṃ samavārayat ||
tam udvīkṣya tathāyāntaṃ kaunteyaḥ paravīrahā ||
pratyagṛhṇāt prahṛṣṭātmā dhārādharam ivācalaḥ ||
tato bhīṣmaḥ śarān aṣṭau dhvaje pārthasya vīryavān ||
samaparyan mahāvegāñ śvasamānān ivoragān ||
te dhvajaṃ pāṇḍuputrasya samāsādya patatriṇaḥ ||
jvalantaḥ kapim ājaghnur dhvajāgranilayāṃś ca tān ||
tato bhallena mahatā pṛthudhāreṇa pāṇḍavaḥ ||
chatraṃ ciccheda bhīṣmasya tūrṇaṃ tad apatad bhuvi ||
dhvajaṃ caivāsya kaunteyaḥ śarair abhyahanad dṛḍham ||
śīghrakṛd rathavāhāṃś ca tathobhau pārṣṇisārathī ||
Vaishampayana said: 'As the warriors were being slain, the unassailable and mighty Bhishma, son of Shantanu, advanced upon Dhananjaya. He took up the finest of bows, adorned with gold, and sharp arrows that pierce vital points. Beneath the white parasol held over his head, that tiger among men shone like a mountain at sunrise. The son of Ganga blew his conch, gladdening the Dhartarashtras, circled Bibhatsu to the right, and barred his path. The Kaunteya, slayer of enemy heroes, joyfully received him, as a mountain receives a raincloud. Then the mighty Bhishma sent eight swift arrows into Partha's banner; these winged shafts, reaching the standard of the son of Pandu, struck, blazing, the monkey and the beings dwelling at the top of the banner. The Pandava, with a great broad-bladed bhalla arrow, swiftly cut away Bhishma's parasol, and it fell to the ground. Then the Kaunteya struck hard with arrows at his banner, at the swift charioteers, and at both the rear charioteers.'
b6f158c465e9 · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:42:56 PM UTC
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The encounter with Bhishma is majestic and painful. Circling him to the right preserves honor, but the battle at once makes clear: reverence does not exempt one from answering for the side one has chosen.