तान् विनिर्जित्य तु रणे सर्वशस्त्रविशारदः ॥
कन्याभिः सहितः प्रायाद् भारतो भारतान् प्रति ॥
ततस् तं पृष्ठतो राजञ् शाल्वराजो महारथः ॥
अभ्याहनद् अमेयात्मा भीष्मं शांतनवं रणे ॥
वारणं जघने निघ्नन् दन्ताभ्याम् अपरो यथा ॥
वाशिताम् अनुसंप्राप्तो यूथपो बलिनां वरः ॥
स्त्रीकाम तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति भीष्मम् आह स पार्थिवः ॥
शाल्वराजो महाबाहुर् अमर्षेणाभिचोदितः ॥
ततः स पुरुषव्याघ्रो भीष्मः परबलार्दनः ॥
तद्वाक्याकुलितः क्रोधाद् विधूमो ऽग्निर् इव ज्वलन् ॥
क्षत्रधर्मं समास्थाय व्यपेतभयसंभ्रमः ॥
निवर्तयाम् आस रथं शाल्वं प्रति महारथः ॥
निवर्तमानं तं दृष्ट्वा राजानः सर्व एव ते ॥
प्रेक्षकाः समपद्यन्त भीष्मशाल्वसमागमे ॥
तौ वृषाव् इव नर्दन्तौ बलिनौ वाशितान्तरे ॥
अन्योन्यम् अभिवर्तेतां बलविक्रमशालिनौ ॥
ततो भीष्मं शांतनवं शरैः शतसहस्रशः ॥
शाल्वराजो नरश्रेष्ठः समवाकिरद् आशुगैः ॥
पूर्वम् अभ्यर्दितं दृष्ट्वा भीष्मं शाल्वेन ते नृपाः ॥
विस्मिताः समपद्यन्त साधु साध्व् इति चाब्रुवन् ॥
लाघवं तस्य ते दृष्ट्वा संयुगे सर्वपार्थिवाः ॥
अपूजयन्त संहृष्टा वाग्भिः शाल्वं नराधिपाः ॥
क्षत्रियाणां तदा वाचः श्रुत्वा परपुरंजयः ॥
क्रुद्धः शांतनवो भीष्मस् तिष्ठ तिष्ठेत्य् अभाषत ॥
सारथिं चाब्रवीत् क्रुद्धो याहि यत्रैष पार्थिवः ॥
यावद् एनं निहन्म्य् अद्य भुजंगम् इव पक्षिराट् ॥
ततो ऽस्त्रं वारुणं सम्यग् योजयाम् आस कौरवः ॥
तेनाश्वांश् चतुरो ऽमृद्नाच् छाल्वराज्ञो नराधिप ॥
अस्त्रैर् अस्त्राणि संवार्य शाल्वराज्ञः स कौरवः ॥
भीष्मो नृपतिशार्दूल न्यवधीत् तस्य सारथिम् ॥
अस्त्रेण चाप्य् अथैकेन न्यवधीत् तुरगोत्तमान् ॥
कन्याहेतोर् नरश्रेष्ठ भीष्मः शांतनवस् तदा ॥
जित्वा विसर्जयाम् आस जीवन्तं नृपसत्तमम् ॥
ततः शाल्वः स्वनगरं प्रययौ भरतर्षभ ॥
tān vinirjitya tu raṇe sarvaśastraviśāradaḥ ||
kanyābhiḥ sahitaḥ prāyād bhārato bhāratān prati ||
tatas taṃ pṛṣṭhato rājañ śālvarājo mahārathaḥ ||
abhyāhanad ameyātmā bhīṣmaṃ śāṃtanavaṃ raṇe ||
vāraṇaṃ jaghane nighnan dantābhyām aparo yathā ||
vāśitām anusaṃprāpto yūthapo balināṃ varaḥ ||
strīkāma tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti bhīṣmam āha sa pārthivaḥ ||
śālvarājo mahābāhur amarṣeṇābhicoditaḥ ||
tataḥ sa puruṣavyāghro bhīṣmaḥ parabalārdanaḥ ||
tadvākyākulitaḥ krodhād vidhūmo 'gnir iva jvalan ||
kṣatradharmaṃ samāsthāya vyapetabhayasaṃbhramaḥ ||
nivartayām āsa rathaṃ śālvaṃ prati mahārathaḥ ||
nivartamānaṃ taṃ dṛṣṭvā rājānaḥ sarva eva te ||
prekṣakāḥ samapadyanta bhīṣmaśālvasamāgame ||
tau vṛṣāv iva nardantau balinau vāśitāntare ||
anyonyam abhivartetāṃ balavikramaśālinau ||
tato bhīṣmaṃ śāṃtanavaṃ śaraiḥ śatasahasraśaḥ ||
śālvarājo naraśreṣṭhaḥ samavākirad āśugaiḥ ||
pūrvam abhyarditaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhīṣmaṃ śālvena te nṛpāḥ ||
vismitāḥ samapadyanta sādhu sādhv iti cābruvan ||
lāghavaṃ tasya te dṛṣṭvā saṃyuge sarvapārthivāḥ ||
apūjayanta saṃhṛṣṭā vāgbhiḥ śālvaṃ narādhipāḥ ||
kṣatriyāṇāṃ tadā vācaḥ śrutvā parapuraṃjayaḥ ||
kruddhaḥ śāṃtanavo bhīṣmas tiṣṭha tiṣṭhety abhāṣata ||
sārathiṃ cābravīt kruddho yāhi yatraiṣa pārthivaḥ ||
yāvad enaṃ nihanmy adya bhujaṃgam iva pakṣirāṭ ||
tato 'straṃ vāruṇaṃ samyag yojayām āsa kauravaḥ ||
tenāśvāṃś caturo 'mṛdnāc chālvarājño narādhipa ||
astrair astrāṇi saṃvārya śālvarājñaḥ sa kauravaḥ ||
bhīṣmo nṛpatiśārdūla nyavadhīt tasya sārathim ||
astreṇa cāpy athaikena nyavadhīt turagottamān ||
kanyāhetor naraśreṣṭha bhīṣmaḥ śāṃtanavas tadā ||
jitvā visarjayām āsa jīvantaṃ nṛpasattamam ||
tataḥ śālvaḥ svanagaraṃ prayayau bharatarṣabha ||
"Having defeated them in battle, Bharata, skilled in every weapon, set out together with the maidens toward the land of the Bharatas. Then from behind, O king, King Shalva, a great chariot-warrior of immeasurable spirit, attacked Bhishma, son of Shantanu, in battle -- like one elephant striking with his tusks at the hindquarters of another elephant who has overtaken a female, the herd's leader, best of the mighty. 'O lecher after women, stand, stand!' -- thus spoke to Bhishma that mighty-armed King Shalva, driven on by indignation. Then that tiger among men, Bhishma, crusher of enemy forces, stung by those words, blazed up with anger like a smokeless fire. Taking his stand on the dharma of the kshatriya, free of fear and confusion, the great chariot-warrior turned his chariot toward Shalva. Seeing him turn back, all those kings became spectators of the encounter between Bhishma and Shalva. Those two, like two roaring bulls, mighty, met over a cow, rushed at one another, resplendent with strength and valor. Then King Shalva, best of men, showered Bhishma, son of Shantanu, with hundreds and thousands of swift arrows. Seeing Bhishma at first pressed hard by Shalva, those kings were astonished and cried out, 'Well done, well done!' Seeing his skill in battle, all the kings, delighted, praised Shalva with their words. Hearing then the words of the kshatriyas, the conqueror of enemy cities, the enraged Bhishma, son of Shantanu, said: 'Stand, stand!' And said angrily to his charioteer: 'Drive to where that king is, that I may now slay him, as the king of birds slays a serpent.' Then the Kaurava skillfully invoked the weapon of Varuna; with it he slew the four horses of King Shalva, O lord of men. Warding off Shalva's weapon with his own, that Kaurava Bhishma, O tiger among kings, killed his charioteer and with a single weapon slew his excellent horses. For the sake of the maidens, O best of men, Bhishma, son of Shantanu, having overcome him, then let that best of kings go free, alive; and then Shalva departed for his own city, O bull among the Bharatas."
adde739d43d5 · प्रकाशित 12 जुल॰ 2026, 4:16:47 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Here Bhishma defeats Shalva in single combat, yet spares him. It is telling that Shalva reviles Bhishma as "lecherous after women": the reproach is unjust, for Bhishma is winning brides not for himself, who has vowed celibacy, but for his brother -- so slander often ascribes to the righteous man the very baseness of the one who slanders him. Here it is shown that the pure of heart are maligned in vain, and he is not obliged to justify himself but answers with deeds. Telling too is that Bhishma, having won, lets Shalva go alive: the victor does not take revenge and does not kill the fallen without need -- such is nobility that surpasses valor itself. Here is the highest dharma of the warrior: to spare one who has yielded, not to finish off the vanquished; true strength shows itself in mercy. And yet let us note a bitter knot: Bhishma does not know that Shalva is the chosen one of Amba's heart; in defeating him, unknowingly, he shatters her hope of happiness. Thus the scripture shows how a valorous deed, done in ignorance of another's heart, weaves the threads of Amba's coming tragedy, which will turn against Bhishma himself.