Shloka 8

दुःशासनवधः (Duḥśāsana-vadha) — Bhīma’s vow-fulfillment in combat

Devanagari script

भीमसेनश्व समरे मृद्नंस्तव महारथान्‌

Transliteration

bhīmasenaś ca samare mṛdnans tava mahārathān

Translation

قال سانجيا: «وكان بهيماسينا، في خِضَمّ المعركة، يسحق عظماء مقاتلي عرباتك.»

Word by Word

• भीमसेनः: Bhimasena (Bhima)
• भीमसेनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: समर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मृद्नन्: crushing, pounding
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृद्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• महारथान्: great chariot-warriors
• महारथान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• mahārathas (Kaurava great warriors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh ethical reality of war: when kṣatriya-duty and battlefield resolve are fully engaged, outcomes become uncompromising. It invites reflection on how power, once unleashed in a righteous or retaliatory cause, still produces irreversible suffering and loss.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma is overpowering and subduing the Kaurava side’s elite chariot-warriors in the ongoing battle, indicating a strong Pāṇḍava advance and significant pressure on Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s forces.