स समन्तात् परिवृतो रथौघैर् अपराजितः ॥
गहने ऽग्निर् इवोत्सृष्टः प्रजज्वाल दहन् परान् ॥
रथाग्न्यगारश् चापार्चिर् असिशक्तिगदेन्धनः ॥
शरस्फुलिङ्गो भीष्माग्निर् ददाह क्षत्रियर्षभान् ॥
सुवर्णपुङ्खैर् इषुभिर् गार्ध्रपक्षैः सुतेजनैः ॥
कर्णिनालीकनाराचैश् छादयाम् आस तद् बलम् ॥
अपातयद् ध्वजांश् चैव रथिनश् च शितैः शरैः ॥
मुण्डतालवनानीव चकार स रथव्रजान् ॥
निर्मनुष्यान् रथान् राजन् गजान् अश्वांश् च संयुगे ॥
अकरोत् स महाबाहुः सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः ॥
तस्य ज्यातलनिर्घोषं विस्फूर्जितम् इवाशनेः ॥
निशम्य सर्वभूतानि समकम्पन्त भारत ॥
अमोघा ह्य् अपतन् बाणाः पितुस् ते भरतर्षभ ॥
नासज्जन्त तनुत्रेषु भीष्मचापच्युताः शराः ॥
हतवीरान् रथान् राजन् संयुक्ताञ् जवनैर् हयैः ॥
अपश्याम महाराज ह्रियमाणान् रणाजिरे ॥
चेदिकाशिकरूषाणां सहस्राणि चतुर्दश ॥
महारथाः समाख्याताः कुलपुत्रास् तनुत्यजः ॥
अपरावर्तिनः सर्वे सुवर्णविकृतध्वजाः ॥
संग्रामे भीष्मम् आसाद्य व्यादितास्यम् इवान्तकम् ॥
निमग्नाः परलोकाय सवाजिरथकुञ्जराः ॥
sa samantāt parivṛto rathaughair aparājitaḥ ||
gahane 'gnir ivotsṛṣṭaḥ prajajvāla dahan parān ||
rathāgnyagāraś cāpārcir asiśaktigadendhanaḥ ||
śarasphuliṅgo bhīṣmāgnir dadāha kṣatriyarṣabhān ||
suvarṇapuṅkhair iṣubhir gārdhrapakṣaiḥ sutejanaiḥ ||
karṇinālīkanārācaiś chādayām āsa tad balam ||
apātayad dhvajāṃś caiva rathinaś ca śitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
muṇḍatālavanānīva cakāra sa rathavrajān ||
nirmanuṣyān rathān rājan gajān aśvāṃś ca saṃyuge ||
akarot sa mahābāhuḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ ||
tasya jyātalanirghoṣaṃ visphūrjitam ivāśaneḥ ||
niśamya sarvabhūtāni samakampanta bhārata ||
amoghā hy apatan bāṇāḥ pitus te bharatarṣabha ||
nāsajjanta tanutreṣu bhīṣmacāpacyutāḥ śarāḥ ||
hatavīrān rathān rājan saṃyuktāñ javanair hayaiḥ ||
apaśyāma mahārāja hriyamāṇān raṇājire ||
cedikāśikarūṣāṇāṃ sahasrāṇi caturdaśa ||
mahārathāḥ samākhyātāḥ kulaputrās tanutyajaḥ ||
aparāvartinaḥ sarve suvarṇavikṛtadhvajāḥ ||
saṃgrāme bhīṣmam āsādya vyāditāsyam ivāntakam ||
nimagnāḥ paralokāya savājirathakuñjarāḥ ||
Surrounded on all sides by streams of chariots, the unconquered Bhishma blazed up, burning the enemies, like fire let loose in a forest thicket. The fire of Bhishma, in which the chariots were hearths, the bow was the flame, swords, shaktis, and maces were fuel, and the arrows were sparks, burned the finest of the kshatriyas. With gold-feathered, sharp arrows plumed with vulture feathers — karnis, nalikas, and naracas — he covered that army. With sharp arrows he brought down banners and charioteers, and turned the rows of chariots into shorn palm groves. The mighty-armed one, the foremost of all who bear weapons, left chariots in battle without men, and elephants and horses without warriors. Hearing the twang of his bowstring, like the roar of a thunderbolt, all beings trembled, O Bharata. Unfailingly fell the arrows of your father, O bull of the Bharatas; loosed from Bhishma's bow, they never lodged in armor. We saw, great king, how on the field of battle swift horses carried off chariots whose heroes had been slain. Fourteen thousand maharathas of the Chedis, Kashis, and Karushas — noble sons ready to give up their bodies, all unturning, with banners adorned in gold — having met Bhishma in battle, like death with its mouth agape, sank down to the other world together with their horses, chariots, and elephants.'
6fde4f29c629 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:55:41 PM UTC
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The image of Bhishma as fire reveals more than the old warrior's strength — it shows the purifying and destroying side of the kshatriya's fate. Those who do not retreat still enter the jaws of death, for valor does not undo the outcome of war.