Shloka 14
अध्याय ८० — मध्यंदिन-रणवृत्तान्तः
Yudhiṣṭhira–Śrutāyu encounter; Cekitāna–Gautama clash; Abhimanyu pressure; Arjuna’s redeployment
स तेषां प्रवरान् योधान् हस्त्यश्वरथसादिन: । जघान समरे शूरो धार्तराष्ट्रानाचेन्तयन्
sa teṣāṁ pravarān yodhān hastyaśvarathasādinaḥ | jaghāna samare śūro dhārtarāṣṭrān acintayan ||
Sañjaya sprach: Der heldenhafte Bhīmasena, ohne auch nur einen Gedanken an die Söhne Dhṛtarāṣṭras zu verschwenden, begann auf dem Schlachtfeld ihre vornehmsten Krieger niederzuschlagen—jene, die von Elefanten, Pferden und Streitwagen aus kämpften.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights uncompromising resolve in the execution of one’s chosen duty in war: Bhīma does not allow personal regard for the Dhārtarāṣṭras to dilute his battlefield purpose. Ethically, it reflects the harsh kṣatriya frame where commitment to the war-effort overrides softer personal considerations.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīmasena is cutting down the Kauravas’ leading fighters—those mounted on elephants, horses, and chariots—showing Bhīma’s momentum and the mounting losses on the Kaurava side.