Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 28
अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana
श्येनवद् व्यचरद् भीम: खड्गेन गदया तथा
śyenavad vyacarad bhīmaḥ khaḍgena gadayā tathā
Sañjaya said: Bhīma moved about like a hawk—swift and predatory—wielding his sword and likewise his mace. The image underscores the ferocity and urgency of battle, where strength and skill are pressed into service for one’s side, even as the moral weight of violence remains implicit in the epic’s war setting.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined martial energy: Bhīma’s power is portrayed as swift, focused, and effective. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical landscape, such prowess is not celebrated in isolation but framed within the grave context of dharma-tested warfare, where action has consequences even when undertaken as duty.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma’s movements on the battlefield: he ranges about rapidly, attacking with both sword and mace, compared to a hawk’s quick, decisive motion.
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