निमेषान्तरमात्रेण भीष्मो ऽन्यत् कार्मुकं रणे ॥
समादाय महाबाहुः सज्यं चक्रे महाबलः ॥
शरांश् च सुबहून् क्रुद्धो मुमोचाशु धनंजये ॥
अर्जुनो ऽपि शरांश् चित्रान् भीष्माय निशितान् बहून् ॥
चिक्षेप सुमहातेजास् तथा भीष्मश् च पाण्डवे ॥
तयोर् दिव्यास्त्रविदुषोर् अस्यतोर् अनिशं शरान् ॥
न विशेषस् तदा राजंल् लक्ष्यते स्म महात्मनोः ॥
अथावृणोद् दश दिशः शरैर् अतिरथस् तदा ॥
किरीटमाली कौन्तेयः शूरः शांतनवस् तथा ॥
अतीव पाण्डवो भीष्मं भीष्मश् चातीव पाण्डवम् ॥
बभूव तस्मिन् संग्रामे राजंल् लोके तद् अद्भुतम् ॥
पाण्डवेन हताः शूरा भीष्मस्य रथरक्षिणः ॥
शेरते स्म तदा राजन् कौन्तेयस्याभितो रथम् ॥
ततो गाण्डीवनिर्मुक्ता निरमित्रं चिकीर्षवः ॥
आगच्छन् पुङ्खसंश्लिष्टाः श्वेतवाहनपत्रिणः ॥
निष्पतन्तो रथात् तस्य धौता हैरण्यवाससः ॥
आकाशे समदृश्यन्त हंसानाम् इव पङ्क्तयः ॥
तस्य तद् दिव्यम् अस्त्रं हि प्रगाढं चित्रम् अस्यतः ॥
प्रेक्षन्ते स्मान्तरिक्षस्थाः सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः ॥
तद् दृष्ट्वा परमप्रीतो गन्धर्वश् चित्रम् अद्भुतम् ॥
शशंस देवराजाय चित्रसेनः प्रतापवान् ॥
पश्येमान् अरिनिर्दारान् संसक्तान् इव गच्छतः ॥
चित्ररूपम् इदं जिष्णोर् दिव्यम् अस्त्रम् उदीर्यतः ॥
नेदं मनुष्याः श्रद्दध्युर् न हीदं तेषु विद्यते ॥
पौराणानां महास्त्राणां विचित्रो ऽयं समागमः ॥
मध्यंदिनगतं सूर्यं प्रतपन्तम् इवाम्बरे ॥
न शक्नुवन्ति सैन्यानि पाण्डवं प्रतिवीक्षितुम् ॥
उभौ विश्रुतकर्माणाव् उभौ युद्धविशारदौ ॥
उभौ सदृशकर्माणाव् उभौ युधि दुरासदौ ॥
इत्य् उक्तो देवराजस् तु पार्थभीष्मसमागमम् ॥
पूजयाम् आस दिव्येन पुष्पवर्षेण भारत ॥
nimeṣāntaramātreṇa bhīṣmo 'nyat kārmukaṃ raṇe ||
samādāya mahābāhuḥ sajyaṃ cakre mahābalaḥ ||
śarāṃś ca subahūn kruddho mumocāśu dhanaṃjaye ||
arjuno 'pi śarāṃś citrān bhīṣmāya niśitān bahūn ||
cikṣepa sumahātejās tathā bhīṣmaś ca pāṇḍave ||
tayor divyāstraviduṣor asyator aniśaṃ śarān ||
na viśeṣas tadā rājaṃl lakṣyate sma mahātmanoḥ ||
athāvṛṇod daśa diśaḥ śarair atirathas tadā ||
kirīṭamālī kaunteyaḥ śūraḥ śāṃtanavas tathā ||
atīva pāṇḍavo bhīṣmaṃ bhīṣmaś cātīva pāṇḍavam ||
babhūva tasmin saṃgrāme rājaṃl loke tad adbhutam ||
pāṇḍavena hatāḥ śūrā bhīṣmasya ratharakṣiṇaḥ ||
śerate sma tadā rājan kaunteyasyābhito ratham ||
tato gāṇḍīvanirmuktā niramitraṃ cikīrṣavaḥ ||
āgacchan puṅkhasaṃśliṣṭāḥ śvetavāhanapatriṇaḥ ||
niṣpatanto rathāt tasya dhautā hairaṇyavāsasaḥ ||
ākāśe samadṛśyanta haṃsānām iva paṅktayaḥ ||
tasya tad divyam astraṃ hi pragāḍhaṃ citram asyataḥ ||
prekṣante smāntarikṣasthāḥ sarve devāḥ savāsavāḥ ||
tad dṛṣṭvā paramaprīto gandharvaś citram adbhutam ||
śaśaṃsa devarājāya citrasenaḥ pratāpavān ||
paśyemān arinirdārān saṃsaktān iva gacchataḥ ||
citrarūpam idaṃ jiṣṇor divyam astram udīryataḥ ||
nedaṃ manuṣyāḥ śraddadhyur na hīdaṃ teṣu vidyate ||
paurāṇānāṃ mahāstrāṇāṃ vicitro 'yaṃ samāgamaḥ ||
madhyaṃdinagataṃ sūryaṃ pratapantam ivāmbare ||
na śaknuvanti sainyāni pāṇḍavaṃ prativīkṣitum ||
ubhau viśrutakarmāṇāv ubhau yuddhaviśāradau ||
ubhau sadṛśakarmāṇāv ubhau yudhi durāsadau ||
ity ukto devarājas tu pārthabhīṣmasamāgamam ||
pūjayām āsa divyena puṣpavarṣeṇa bhārata ||
In the space of a moment Bhishma took up another bow, strung it, and, enraged, swiftly loosed a multitude of arrows at Dhananjaya. Arjuna, too, hurled at Bhishma a multitude of sharp, wondrous arrows, and Bhishma answered the Pandava in kind. As these two masters of divine weapons ceaselessly loosed their shafts, no superiority could be seen between them. The diademed Kaunteya, the great charioteer, filled the ten directions with arrows, and the son of Shantanu did the same; in that battle this was a wonder to the world. Around Kaunteya's chariot lay the heroes slain by the Pandava who had guarded Bhishma's chariot. The arrows released from the Gandiva, seeking to clear the field of enemies, flew in close-packed ranks; in the sky they appeared like rows of swans. All the gods, with Vasava at their head, watched from the sky this deep and marvelous weaponry of Partha. Seeing this wondrous and many-colored spectacle, the mighty gandharva Chitrasena praised it before the king of the gods: 'Behold these arrows, rending the enemy, moving as though in interwoven ranks; this marvelous weapon of Jishnu is displayed in wondrous form. Men would not credit such a thing: it is not found among them. This is an extraordinary meeting of ancient, mighty weapons. The armies cannot bear to look upon the Pandava, blazing in the sky like the midday sun. Both are renowned for their deeds, both are skilled in war, both are equal in their feats, and both are unassailable in battle.' Hearing this, the king of the gods honored the meeting of Partha and Bhishma with a divine shower of flowers.
89fb26a48209 · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:42:56 PM UTC
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Heaven's approval falls not on brute victory but on the display of perfect skill in the service of duty. That is why flowers rain down upon a clash where both heroes are great, yet the truth stands with one of them.