एतच् छ्रुत्वा तु राजानो दुर्योधनवचस् तदा ॥
सर्वतो रथवंशेन गाङ्गेयं पर्यवारयन् ॥
पुत्राश् च तव गाङ्गेयं परिवार्य ययुर् मुदा ॥
कम्पयन्तो भुवं द्यां च क्षोभयन्तश् च पाण्डवान् ॥
तै रथैश् च सुसंयुक्तैर् दन्तिभिश् च महारथाः ॥
परिवार्य रणे भीष्मं दंशिताः समवस्थिताः ॥
यथा देवासुरे युद्धे त्रिदशा वज्रधारिणम् ॥
सर्वे ते स्म व्यतिष्ठन्त रक्षन्तस् तं महारथम् ॥
etac chrutvā tu rājāno duryodhanavacas tadā ||
sarvato rathavaṃśena gāṅgeyaṃ paryavārayan ||
putrāś ca tava gāṅgeyaṃ parivārya yayur mudā ||
kampayanto bhuvaṃ dyāṃ ca kṣobhayantaś ca pāṇḍavān ||
tai rathaiś ca susaṃyuktair dantibhiś ca mahārathāḥ ||
parivārya raṇe bhīṣmaṃ daṃśitāḥ samavasthitāḥ ||
yathā devāsure yuddhe tridaśā vajradhāriṇam ||
sarve te sma vyatiṣṭhanta rakṣantas taṃ mahāratham ||
Sanjaya said: 'Having heard Duryodhana's words, the kings surrounded Gangeya on every side with a line of chariots. Your sons, encircling Bhishma, moved forward joyfully, shaking the earth and sky and throwing the Pandavas into confusion. The great warriors, with their well-yoked chariots and war elephants, surrounded Bhishma in battle and took their stand around him in armor. As in the battle of gods and asuras the thirty gods stood around the wielder of the thunderbolt, so did all of them take their positions, guarding that great warrior.'
fb376d136c7d · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:47:12 PM UTC
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The Kaurava army gathers around Bhishma as around an axis. But the very formation betrays fear: the greatest protector must now himself be protected, for his strength is bound by his own vow.