संजय उवाच
मध्याह्ने तु महाराज संग्रामः समपद्यत ॥
लोकक्षयकरो रौद्रो भीष्मस्य सह सोमकैः ॥
गाङ्गेयो रथिनां श्रेष्ठः पाण्डवानाम् अनीकिनीम् ॥
व्यधमन् निशितैर् बाणैः शतशो ऽथ सहस्रशः ॥
संममर्द च तत् सैन्यं पिता देवव्रतस् तव ॥
धान्यानाम् इव लूनानां प्रकरं गोगणा इव ॥
धृष्टद्युम्नः शिखण्डी च विराटो द्रुपदस् तथा ॥
भीष्मम् आसाद्य समरे शरैर् जघ्नुर् महारथम् ॥
धृष्टद्युम्नं ततो विद्ध्वा विराटं च त्रिभिः शरैः ॥
द्रुपदस्य च नाराचं प्रेषयाम् आस भारत ॥
तेन विद्धा महेष्वासा भीष्मेणामित्रकर्शिना ॥
चुक्रुधुः समरे राजन् पादस्पृष्टा इवोरगाः ॥
शिखण्डी तं च विव्याध भरतानां पितामहम् ॥
स्त्रीमयं मनसा ध्यात्वा नास्मै प्राहरद् अच्युतः ॥
धृष्टद्युम्नस् तु समरे क्रोधाद् अग्निर् इव ज्वलन् ॥
पितामहं त्रिभिर् बाणैर् बाह्वोर् उरसि चार्पयत् ॥
द्रुपदः पञ्चविंशत्या विराटो दशभिः शरैः ॥
शिखण्डी पञ्चविंशत्या भीष्मं विव्याध सायकैः ॥
सो ऽतिविद्धो महाराज भीष्मः संख्ये महात्मभिः ॥
वसन्ते पुष्पशबलो रक्ताशोक इवाबभौ ॥
तान् प्रत्यविध्यद् गाङ्गेयस् त्रिभिस् त्रिभिर् अजिह्मगैः ॥
द्रुपदस्य च भल्लेन धनुश् चिच्छेद मारिष ॥
सो ऽन्यत् कार्मुकम् आदाय भीष्मं विव्याध पञ्चभिः ॥
सारथिं च त्रिभिर् बाणैः सुशितै रणमूर्धनि ॥
saṃjaya uvāca
madhyāhne tu mahārāja saṃgrāmaḥ samapadyata ||
lokakṣayakaro raudro bhīṣmasya saha somakaiḥ ||
gāṅgeyo rathināṃ śreṣṭhaḥ pāṇḍavānām anīkinīm ||
vyadhaman niśitair bāṇaiḥ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ ||
saṃmamarda ca tat sainyaṃ pitā devavratas tava ||
dhānyānām iva lūnānāṃ prakaraṃ gogaṇā iva ||
dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ śikhaṇḍī ca virāṭo drupadas tathā ||
bhīṣmam āsādya samare śarair jaghnur mahāratham ||
dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ tato viddhvā virāṭaṃ ca tribhiḥ śaraiḥ ||
drupadasya ca nārācaṃ preṣayām āsa bhārata ||
tena viddhā maheṣvāsā bhīṣmeṇāmitrakarśinā ||
cukrudhuḥ samare rājan pādaspṛṣṭā ivoragāḥ ||
śikhaṇḍī taṃ ca vivyādha bharatānāṃ pitāmaham ||
strīmayaṃ manasā dhyātvā nāsmai prāharad acyutaḥ ||
dhṛṣṭadyumnas tu samare krodhād agnir iva jvalan ||
pitāmahaṃ tribhir bāṇair bāhvor urasi cārpayat ||
drupadaḥ pañcaviṃśatyā virāṭo daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ ||
śikhaṇḍī pañcaviṃśatyā bhīṣmaṃ vivyādha sāyakaiḥ ||
so 'tividdho mahārāja bhīṣmaḥ saṃkhye mahātmabhiḥ ||
vasante puṣpaśabalo raktāśoka ivābabhau ||
tān pratyavidhyad gāṅgeyas tribhis tribhir ajihmagaiḥ ||
drupadasya ca bhallena dhanuś ciccheda māriṣa ||
so 'nyat kārmukam ādāya bhīṣmaṃ vivyādha pañcabhiḥ ||
sārathiṃ ca tribhir bāṇaiḥ suśitai raṇamūrdhani ||
Sanjaya said: 'At midday, great king, a terrible battle broke out between Bhishma and the Somakas, ruinous for the world. Gangeya, the best of chariot-warriors, scattered the army of the Pandavas by hundreds and thousands with sharp arrows. Your father Devavrata crushed that army as herds of cattle trample heaps of reaped grain. Dhrishtadyumna, Shikhandin, Virata, and Drupada, coming up to Bhishma in battle, began to strike that great chariot-warrior with arrows. Then Bhishma pierced Dhrishtadyumna, and Virata with three arrows, and sent an iron shaft at Drupada, O Bharata. Wounded by Bhishma, the tormentor of foes, these mighty archers grew furious in battle, like serpents that have been trodden upon. Shikhandin, too, wounded the grandsire of the Bharatas, but the unshaken Bhishma, thinking of him in his mind as a woman, did not strike him. Dhrishtadyumna, however, blazing in battle with anger like fire, drove three arrows into the grandsire's arms and chest. Drupada struck Bhishma with twenty-five arrows, Virata with ten, and Shikhandin with twenty-five. Sorely wounded by these great souls in battle, Bhishma, great king, shone like a red ashoka tree dappled with blossoms in spring. Gangeya in return pierced each of them with three straight arrows, and with a broad bhalla-arrow, O venerable one, cut through Drupada's bow. Drupada took up another bow and struck Bhishma with five arrows, and his charioteer with three very sharp arrows in the thick of battle.'
f3d1beaabaed · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:47:12 PM UTC
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The assault on Bhishma reveals both the limit and the strength of his vow: Shikhandin's arrows reach him, yet no answering blow follows. His body grows flower-like with wounds, and the battle around him becomes a knot of duty, fury, and inevitable fall.