Shloka 31
भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः
Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt
स युद्धकुशलः पार्थों बाहुवीयेण चातुल: । अहनत् कुञ्जरानीकं गदया कालरूपधृत्,कुन्तीकुमार भीम युद्धमें कुशल तो थे ही, बाहुबलमें भी उनकी समानता करनेवाला कोई नहीं था। उन्होंने कालरूप धारणकर गदाकी मारसे उस गजसेनाका संहार आरम्भ किया
vaiśampāyana uvāca | sa yuddhakuśalaḥ pārtho bāhuvīryeṇa cātulaḥ | ahanat kuñjarānīkaṃ gadayā kālarūpadhṛt |
Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Jener Sohn der Kuntī, kampfkundig und an Armkraft ohnegleichen, nahm eine Gestalt an wie der Tod selbst und begann mit seiner Keule die Vernichtung des Elefantenkorps.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the terrifying impersonality of war: when a warrior’s prowess becomes overwhelming, it is likened to Kāla (Time/Death), suggesting that in battle even mighty forces like an elephant corps can be swept away by an inexorable power. Ethically, it frames martial excellence as awe-inspiring yet grim, reminding the listener of war’s destructive inevitability.
Vaiśampāyana describes a Pāṇḍava hero (called Pārtha here) who is highly skilled in combat and unmatched in arm-strength. Taking on a Death-like ferocity, he attacks with a mace and begins routing/destroying the enemy’s elephant formation (kuñjarānīka).