तत् प्रभग्नं बलं दृष्ट्वा पिता देवव्रतस् तव ॥
अब्रवीत् समरे शूरं भारद्वाजं स्मयन्न् इव ॥
एष पाण्डुसुतो वीरः कृष्णेन सहितो बली ॥
तथा करोति सैन्यानि यथा कुर्याद् धनंजयः ॥
न ह्य् एष समरे शक्यो जेतुम् अद्य कथं चन ॥
यथास्य दृश्यते रूपं कालान्तकयमोपमम् ॥
न निवर्तयितुं चापि शक्येयं महती चमूः ॥
अन्योन्यप्रेक्षया पश्य द्रवतीयं वरूथिनी ॥
एष चास्तं गिरिश्रेष्ठं भानुमान् प्रतिपद्यते ॥
वपूंषि सर्वलोकस्य संहरन्न् इव सर्वथा ॥
तत्रावहारं संप्राप्तं मन्ये ऽहं पुरुषर्षभ ॥
श्रान्ता भीताश् च नो योधा न योत्स्यन्ति कथं चन ॥
एवम् उक्त्वा ततो भीष्मो द्रोणम् आचार्यसत्तमम् ॥
अवहारम् अथो चक्रे तावकानां महारथः ॥
ततो ऽवहारः सैन्यानां तव तेषां च भारत ॥
अस्तं गच्छति सूर्ये ऽभूत् संध्याकाले च वर्तति ॥
tat prabhagnaṃ balaṃ dṛṣṭvā pitā devavratas tava ||
abravīt samare śūraṃ bhāradvājaṃ smayann iva ||
eṣa pāṇḍusuto vīraḥ kṛṣṇena sahito balī ||
tathā karoti sainyāni yathā kuryād dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
na hy eṣa samare śakyo jetum adya kathaṃ cana ||
yathāsya dṛśyate rūpaṃ kālāntakayamopamam ||
na nivartayituṃ cāpi śakyeyaṃ mahatī camūḥ ||
anyonyaprekṣayā paśya dravatīyaṃ varūthinī ||
eṣa cāstaṃ giriśreṣṭhaṃ bhānumān pratipadyate ||
vapūṃṣi sarvalokasya saṃharann iva sarvathā ||
tatrāvahāraṃ saṃprāptaṃ manye 'haṃ puruṣarṣabha ||
śrāntā bhītāś ca no yodhā na yotsyanti kathaṃ cana ||
evam uktvā tato bhīṣmo droṇam ācāryasattamam ||
avahāram atho cakre tāvakānāṃ mahārathaḥ ||
tato 'vahāraḥ sainyānāṃ tava teṣāṃ ca bhārata ||
astaṃ gacchati sūrye 'bhūt saṃdhyākāle ca vartati ||
Seeing that shattered army, your father Devavrata, as though smiling, said in battle to the hero Bharadvaja: ‘This mighty son of Pandu, joined with Krishna, deals with the armies just as Dhananjaya alone would do. Today he cannot be conquered in battle by any means: judging by his form, he resembles Yama at the end of time. Nor can this vast army be turned back now; look, our warriors glance at one another, and the host is fleeing. The radiant sun is now descending toward the western mountain, as though gathering into itself the forms of the whole world entirely. Therefore, O foremost of men, I think the time for withdrawal has come: our warriors are weary and afraid, and they will not be able to fight at all.’ Having said this to Drona, the finest of teachers, Bhishma, the great charioteer, then ordered the withdrawal of your troops. Then, as the sun was setting and twilight was falling, the withdrawal of the armies of your side and of theirs took place, O Bharata.
62757a5b12cb · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:22:44 PM UTC
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Bhishma faces reality without self-deception: before Arjuna and Krishna, the army can no longer hold its ground. Here his sober judgment as a commander shows through, even as he fights on the side of Duryodhana.