Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 1.9.37

sva-nigamam apahaya mat-pratijnam

ritam adhikartum avapluto rathasthah

dhrita-ratha-carano 'bhyayac caladgur

harir iva hantum ibham gatottariyah

SYNONYMS

sva-nigamam -- own truthfulness; apahaya -- for nullifying; mat-pratijnam -- my own promise; ritam -- factual; adhi -- more; kartum -- for doing it; avaplutah -- getting down; ratha-sthah -- from the chariot; dhrita -- taking up; ratha -- chariot; caranah -- wheel; abhyayat -- went hurriedly; caladguh -- trampling the earth; harih -- lion; iva -- like; hantum -- to kill; ibham -- elephant; gata -- leaving aside; uttariyah -- covering cloth.

TRANSLATION

Fulfilling my desire and sacrificing His own promise, He got down from the chariot, took up its wheel, and ran towards me hurriedly, just as a lion goes to kill an elephant. He even dropped His outer garment on the way.

PURPORT

The Battle of Kurukshetra was fought on military principles but at the same time in a sporting spirit, like a friend's fight with another friend. Duryodhana criticized Bhishmadeva, alleging that he was reluctant to kill Arjuna because of paternal affection. A kshatriya cannot tolerate insults on the principle of fighting. Bhishmadeva therefore promised that the next day he would kill all five Pandavas with special weapons made for the purpose. Duryodhana was satisfied, and he kept the arrows with him to be delivered the next day during the fight. By tricks Arjuna took the arrows from Duryodhana, and Bhishmadeva could understand that this was the trick of Lord Krishna. So he took a vow that the next day Krishna would have to take up weapons Himself, otherwise His friend Arjuna would die. In the next day's fighting Bhishmadeva fought so violently that both Arjuna and Krishna were in trouble. Arjuna was almost defeated; the situation was so tense that he was about to be killed by Bhishmadeva the very next moment. At that time Lord Krishna wanted to please His devotee, Bhishma, by keeping Bhishma's promise, which was more important than His own. Seemingly He broke His own promise. He promised before the beginning of the Battle of Kurukshetra that He would remain without weapons and would not use His strength for either of the parties. But to protect Arjuna He got down from the chariot, took up the wheel of the chariot and hurriedly rushed at Bhishmadeva in an angry mood, as a lion goes to kill an elephant. He dropped His covering cloth on the way, and out of great anger He did not know that He had dropped it. Bhishmadeva at once gave up his weapons and stood to be killed by Krishna, his beloved Lord. The fighting of the day was thus ended at that very moment, and Arjuna was saved. Of course there was no possibility of Arjuna's death because the Lord Himself was on the chariot, but because Bhishmadeva wanted to see Lord Krishna take up some weapon to save His friend, the Lord created this situation, making Arjuna's death imminent. He stood before Bhishmadeva to show him that his promise was fulfilled and that He had taken up the wheel.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness