ततस् ते पार्थिवाः सर्वे प्रगृहीतशरासनाः ॥
सहसैन्याः समापेतुः पुत्रस्य तव शासनात् ॥
युधिष्ठिरेण चादिष्टाः पार्थिवास् ते सहस्रशः ॥
विनदन्तः समापेतुः पुत्रस्य तव वाहिनीम् ॥
उभयोः सेनयोस् तीव्रः सैन्यानां स समागमः ॥
अन्तर्धीयत चादित्यः सैन्येन रजसावृतः ॥
प्रयुद्धानां प्रभग्नानां पुनरावर्तताम् अपि ॥
नात्र स्वेषां परेषां वा विशेषः समजायत ॥
तस्मिंस् तु तुमुले युद्धे वर्तमाने महाभये ॥
अति सर्वाण्य् अनीकानि पिता ते ऽभिव्यरोचत ॥
tatas te pārthivāḥ sarve pragṛhītaśarāsanāḥ ||
sahasainyāḥ samāpetuḥ putrasya tava śāsanāt ||
yudhiṣṭhireṇa cādiṣṭāḥ pārthivās te sahasraśaḥ ||
vinadantaḥ samāpetuḥ putrasya tava vāhinīm ||
ubhayoḥ senayos tīvraḥ sainyānāṃ sa samāgamaḥ ||
antardhīyata cādityaḥ sainyena rajasāvṛtaḥ ||
prayuddhānāṃ prabhagnānāṃ punarāvartatām api ||
nātra sveṣāṃ pareṣāṃ vā viśeṣaḥ samajāyata ||
tasmiṃs tu tumule yuddhe vartamāne mahābhaye ||
ati sarvāṇy anīkāni pitā te 'bhivyarocata ||
Then all those kings, bows raised, together with their armies rushed forth at the command of your son. And thousands of kings, ordered by Yudhishthira, rushed shouting upon the army of your son. Fierce was that meeting of the troops of the two armies; the sun itself disappeared, veiled by the dust raised by the host. Among those fighting, broken, and turning back again, no difference could be told between one's own and the enemy's. And as that tumultuous battle went on amid great terror, your father Bhishma shone forth above all the armies."
97abea3e8ae3 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:12:34 PM UTC
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The dust of battle erases the line between one's own and the enemy: thus war reveals its blind nature. Against this backdrop Bhishma shines as the great warrior of the old world, though his greatness now serves Duryodhana's cause.