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Updated: June 18, 2025
Vaisampayana said, "Then while a great havoc was being made among the Kurus, Santanu's son, Bhishma, and grandsire of the Bharatas rushed at Arjuna, taking up an excellent bow adorned with gold, and many arrows also of keen points and capable of piercing into the very vitals of the foe and afflicting him sorely.
Do thou afflict him in such a way that he may not escape. And at this, Santanu's son, smiling, said unto him, 'Where had been this sense of thine, and where had been thy prowess too, when thou hadst been in a state of unconsciousness renouncing thy arrows and handsome bow? Vibhatsu is not addicted to the commission of atrocious deeds; nor is his soul inclined to sin.
Breach of truth by a Kshatriya is never applauded in our treatises on religion. I shall soon tell thee, O Queen, what the established Kshatriya usage is to which recourse may be had to prevent Santanu's line becoming extinct on earth.
And loud was the blare of conchs and the beat of drums that were then heard all over the field. And Santanu's son, his thirst quenched, then addressed Jishnu, O monarch, and said, applauding him highly in the presence of all those kings, these words, viz., 'O thou of mighty arms, this is not wonderful in thee, O son of Kuru's race!
How far, however, he is capable of taking away the affection of Krishna from the Pandavas, he will see on the field of battle. Having bowed down unto Santanu's son, and also Drona with his son, and the unrivalled son of Saradwat, I shall fight for regaining our kingdom. The God of justice himself, I am sure, will bring destruction on that sinful man who will fight with the Pandavas.
With the fire of my weapons I can consume the army of the Pandavas, like Santanu's son Bhishma, I think, in a month's time. Even this is the limit of my power, even this is the limit of my strength." Then Saradwat's son Kripa said that he could annihilate the foe in two month's time.
Sanjaya said, "Stringing then his large bow and reverentially saluting the grandsire, Arjuna, with eyes filled with tears, said these words, O foremost one among the Kurus, O thou that art the first among all wielders of weapons, command me, O invincible one, for I am thy slave! What shall I do, O grandsire! Unto him Santanu's son said, 'My head, O sire, hangeth down!
There our grandfather, Santanu's son, like unto a celestial, waiteth, desirous of an encounter with me. Thereupon, beholding that mighty host thronged with cars and horses and elephants, Uttara, sorely pierced with arrows, said, 'O hero, I am no longer able to guide thy excellent steeds. My spirits droop and my mind is exceedingly bewildered.
Indeed, that moment, when, representing himself as a Brahmana unto the holy and blameless Rama, Vikartana's son obtained that weapon, that vile wretch lost both his virtue and asceticism. O king of kings, when Bhishma said this after Karna had gone away giving up his weapons, Duryodhana, that foolish son of Vichitravirya's son, addressed Santanu's son in these words."
And so also the Pandavas were incapable of looking at Santanu's son Bhishma of white steeds and white bow and resembling the planet Sukra risen in the firmament. And the latter was surrounded on all sides by the high-souled warriors of the Trigartas headed by their king with his brothers and sons, and by many other mighty car-warriors.
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