धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
पीड्यमानं बलं पार्थैर् दृष्ट्वा भीष्मः पराक्रमी ॥
यद् अकार्षीद् रणे क्रुद्धस् तन् ममाचक्ष्व संजय ॥
कथं वा पाण्डवान् युद्धे प्रत्युद्यातः परंतपः ॥
विनिघ्नन् सोमकान् वीरांस् तन् ममाचक्ष्व संजय ॥
संजय उवाच
आचक्षे ते महाराज यद् अकार्षीत् पितामहः ॥
पीडिते तव पुत्रस्य सैन्ये पाण्डवसृञ्जयैः ॥
प्रहृष्टमनसः शूराः पाण्डवाः पाण्डुपूर्वज ॥
अभ्यवर्तन्त निघ्नन्तस् तव पुत्रस्य वाहिनीम् ॥
तं विनाशं मनुष्येन्द्र नरवारणवाजिनाम् ॥
नामृष्यत तदा भीष्मः सैन्यघातं रणे परैः ॥
स पाण्डवान् महेष्वासः पाञ्चालांश् च ससृञ्जयान् ॥
अभ्यद्रवत दुर्धर्षस् त्यक्त्वा जीवितम् आत्मनः ॥
स पाण्डवानां प्रवरान् पञ्च राजन् महारथान् ॥
आत्तशस्त्रान् रणे यत्तान् वारयाम् आस सायकैः ॥
नाराचैर् वत्सदन्तैश् च शितैर् अञ्जलिकैस् तथा ॥
निजघ्ने समरे क्रुद्धो हस्त्यश्वम् अमितं बहु ॥
रथिनो ऽपातयद् राजन् रथेभ्यः पुरुषर्षभः ॥
सादिनश् चाश्वपृष्ठेभ्यः पदातींश् च समागतान् ॥
गजारोहान् गजेभ्यश् च परेषां विदधद् भयम् ॥
तम् एकं समरे भीष्मं त्वरमाणं महारथम् ॥
पाण्डवाः समवर्तन्त वज्रपाणिम् इवासुराः ॥
शक्राशनिसमस्पर्शान् विमुञ्चन् निशिताञ् शरान् ॥
दिक्ष्व् अदृश्यत सर्वासु घोरं संधारयन् वपुः ॥
मण्डलीकृतम् एवास्य नित्यं धनुर् अदृश्यत ॥
संग्रामे युध्यमानस्य शक्रचापनिभं महत् ॥
तद् दृष्ट्वा समरे कर्म तव पुत्रा विशां पते ॥
विस्मयं परमं प्राप्ताः पितामहम् अपूजयन् ॥
पार्था विमनसो भूत्वा प्रैक्षन्त पितरं तव ॥
युध्यमानं रणे शूरं विप्रचित्तिम् इवामराः ॥
न चैनं वारयाम् आसुर् व्यात्ताननम् इवान्तकम् ॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
pīḍyamānaṃ balaṃ pārthair dṛṣṭvā bhīṣmaḥ parākramī ||
yad akārṣīd raṇe kruddhas tan mamācakṣva saṃjaya ||
kathaṃ vā pāṇḍavān yuddhe pratyudyātaḥ paraṃtapaḥ ||
vinighnan somakān vīrāṃs tan mamācakṣva saṃjaya ||
saṃjaya uvāca
ācakṣe te mahārāja yad akārṣīt pitāmahaḥ ||
pīḍite tava putrasya sainye pāṇḍavasṛñjayaiḥ ||
prahṛṣṭamanasaḥ śūrāḥ pāṇḍavāḥ pāṇḍupūrvaja ||
abhyavartanta nighnantas tava putrasya vāhinīm ||
taṃ vināśaṃ manuṣyendra naravāraṇavājinām ||
nāmṛṣyata tadā bhīṣmaḥ sainyaghātaṃ raṇe paraiḥ ||
sa pāṇḍavān maheṣvāsaḥ pāñcālāṃś ca sasṛñjayān ||
abhyadravata durdharṣas tyaktvā jīvitam ātmanaḥ ||
sa pāṇḍavānāṃ pravarān pañca rājan mahārathān ||
āttaśastrān raṇe yattān vārayām āsa sāyakaiḥ ||
nārācair vatsadantaiś ca śitair añjalikais tathā ||
nijaghne samare kruddho hastyaśvam amitaṃ bahu ||
rathino 'pātayad rājan rathebhyaḥ puruṣarṣabhaḥ ||
sādinaś cāśvapṛṣṭhebhyaḥ padātīṃś ca samāgatān ||
gajārohān gajebhyaś ca pareṣāṃ vidadhad bhayam ||
tam ekaṃ samare bhīṣmaṃ tvaramāṇaṃ mahāratham ||
pāṇḍavāḥ samavartanta vajrapāṇim ivāsurāḥ ||
śakrāśanisamasparśān vimuñcan niśitāñ śarān ||
dikṣv adṛśyata sarvāsu ghoraṃ saṃdhārayan vapuḥ ||
maṇḍalīkṛtam evāsya nityaṃ dhanur adṛśyata ||
saṃgrāme yudhyamānasya śakracāpanibhaṃ mahat ||
tad dṛṣṭvā samare karma tava putrā viśāṃ pate ||
vismayaṃ paramaṃ prāptāḥ pitāmaham apūjayan ||
pārthā vimanaso bhūtvā praikṣanta pitaraṃ tava ||
yudhyamānaṃ raṇe śūraṃ vipracittim ivāmarāḥ ||
na cainaṃ vārayām āsur vyāttānanam ivāntakam ||
Dhritarashtra said: 'Having seen the army pressed by the Parthas, what did valiant Bhishma do in his fury on the battlefield? Tell me this, Sanjaya. How did that scourge of foes march out to meet the Pandavas in battle, slaying the heroic Somakas? Tell me this, Sanjaya.' Sanjaya said: 'I shall tell you, great king, what the grandfather did when your son's army was being pressed by the Pandavas and the Srinjayas. The heroic Pandavas, O descendant of Pandu, glad at heart, advanced, slaying your son's army. Bhishma then could not bear that destruction of men, elephants, and horses, that slaughter of the army by the enemy in battle. The unassailable great archer, sparing not his own life, charged upon the Pandavas, the Panchalas, and the Srinjayas. With arrows he checked the five foremost Pandavas, O king, the great chariot-warriors, weapons raised and intent on the fight. In his fury he struck down in battle countless elephants and horses with naracha arrows, vatsadanta arrows, and sharp anjalika arrows. The foremost of men, O king, hurled chariot-warriors from their chariots, riders from the backs of their horses, gathered footmen, and drivers from their elephants, striking terror into the enemy. The Pandavas surrounded that one swift mahāratha Bhishma alone in the battle, as the asuras once surrounded the wielder of the thunderbolt. Releasing sharp arrows with the touch of Shakra's own bolt, he was seen in every direction, bearing a terrible form. As he fought in the battle, his great bow, ever bent into a circle, was seen like the bow of Shakra. Seeing this feat in battle, your sons, O lord of the people, were filled with the greatest wonder and honored the grandfather. But the Parthas, growing downcast, watched your father fighting heroically in battle, as the immortals watch Vipracitti, and could not stop him, like Antaka with his jaws agape.'
f6f7e461baa8 · published Jul 17, 2026, 9:55:41 PM UTC
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Bhishma's answer to the Kauravas' panic is not defense from a distance but his own entry into the very center of the destruction. He again becomes a force before which both sides are forced to acknowledge his supremacy.