तौ रथस्थौ नरव्याघ्रौ भीष्मः शांतनवः पुनः ॥
ववर्ष शरवर्षेण मेघो वृष्ट्या यथाचलौ ॥
प्राणांश् चादत्त योधानां पिता देवव्रतस् तव ॥
गभस्तिभिर् इवादित्यस् तेजांसि शिशिरात्यये ॥
यथा कुरूणां सैन्यानि बभञ्ज युधि पाण्डवः ॥
तथा पाण्डवसैन्यानि बभञ्ज युधि ते पिता ॥
हतविद्रुतसैन्यास् तु निरुत्साहा विचेतसः ॥
निरीक्षितुं न शेकुस् ते भीष्मम् अप्रतिमं रणे ॥
मध्यं गतम् इवादित्यं प्रतपन्तं स्वतेजसा ॥
ते वध्यमाना भीष्मेण कालेनेव युगक्षये ॥
वीक्षां चक्रुर् महाराज पाण्डवा भयपीडिताः ॥
त्रातारं नाध्यगच्छन्त गावः पङ्कगता इव ॥
पिपीलिका इव क्षुण्णा दुर्बला बलिना रणे ॥
महारथं भारत दुष्प्रधर्षं; शरौघिणं प्रतपन्तं नरेन्द्रान् ॥
भीष्मं न शेकुः प्रतिवीक्षितुं ते; शरार्चिषं सूर्यम् इवातपन्तम् ॥
विमृद्नतस् तस्य तु पाण्डुसेनाम्; अस्तं जगामाथ सहस्ररश्मिः ॥
ततो बलानां श्रमकर्शितानां; मनो ऽवहारं प्रति संबभूव ॥
tau rathasthau naravyāghrau bhīṣmaḥ śāṃtanavaḥ punaḥ ||
vavarṣa śaravarṣeṇa megho vṛṣṭyā yathācalau ||
prāṇāṃś cādatta yodhānāṃ pitā devavratas tava ||
gabhastibhir ivādityas tejāṃsi śiśirātyaye ||
yathā kurūṇāṃ sainyāni babhañja yudhi pāṇḍavaḥ ||
tathā pāṇḍavasainyāni babhañja yudhi te pitā ||
hatavidrutasainyās tu nirutsāhā vicetasaḥ ||
nirīkṣituṃ na śekus te bhīṣmam apratimaṃ raṇe ||
madhyaṃ gatam ivādityaṃ pratapantaṃ svatejasā ||
te vadhyamānā bhīṣmeṇa kāleneva yugakṣaye ||
vīkṣāṃ cakrur mahārāja pāṇḍavā bhayapīḍitāḥ ||
trātāraṃ nādhyagacchanta gāvaḥ paṅkagatā iva ||
pipīlikā iva kṣuṇṇā durbalā balinā raṇe ||
mahārathaṃ bhārata duṣpradharṣaṃ; śaraughiṇaṃ pratapantaṃ narendrān ||
bhīṣmaṃ na śekuḥ prativīkṣituṃ te; śarārciṣaṃ sūryam ivātapantam ||
vimṛdnatas tasya tu pāṇḍusenām; astaṃ jagāmātha sahasraraśmiḥ ||
tato balānāṃ śramakarśitānāṃ; mano 'vahāraṃ prati saṃbabhūva ||
When these two tigers among men once again stood on their chariot, Bhishma, son of Shantanu, again showered them with a rain of arrows, as a cloud pours rain upon the mountains. Your father Devavrata took the lives of warriors, as the sun with its rays takes away the brightness at the end of winter. Just as the Pandava shattered the armies of the Kurus in battle, so your father shattered the armies of the Pandavas in battle. Their forces, slain and put to flight, disheartened and bewildered, could not bear to look upon the incomparable Bhishma in battle, blazing with his own splendor like the sun at its zenith. The Pandava warriors, being struck down by Bhishma as though by Time at the end of an age, gripped by fear, looked about but found no protector -- like cows sunk in a mire, like feeble ants crushed by the strong in battle. They could not bear to look upon this unassailable great chariot-warrior, O Bharata, upon Bhishma pouring forth arrows and scorching the kings, like the blazing sun with rays of shafts. While he was crushing the army of Pandu, the thousand-rayed sun set. Then, in the armies worn out by exhaustion, the thought of withdrawal arose.
580188e53fc3 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:55:41 PM UTC
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After Krishna's outburst and Arjuna's vow, the battle does not end: Bhishma again presses the Pandava army all the way to sunset. The chapter leaves a sense of unfinished duty -- the decision has been made, but its fruit still lies ahead.