Shloka 78

Devanagari script

ततः प्रहस्य समरे भैमसेनिर्महाबल:

Transliteration

tataḥ prahasya samare bhaimasenir mahābalaḥ

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Dann lachte der gewaltige Bhīmasena mitten im Kampf laut auf — stark und unerschütterlich — und schritt mit düsterer Zuversicht voran, als wolle er schon durch seine Haltung verkünden, dass Furcht dort keinen Platz hat, wo Entschlossenheit und gerechter Zorn erwacht sind.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

प्रहस्यhaving laughed

समरेin battle

भैमसेनिःBhīmasena's son (Bhīmaseni = Ghaṭotkaca)

महाबलःmighty, of great strength

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīmasena (Bhaimaseni)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the inner stance of a warrior: fearlessness and resolve can manifest outwardly as laughter or scorn in the face of danger. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such composure signals steadfastness in one’s chosen duty (kṣatriya-dharma), though it also hints at the hardening of the heart that prolonged war can bring.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates a moment on the battlefield where Bhīmasena, described as immensely strong, laughs in the thick of combat—an image that typically precedes a forceful attack or a decisive turn, emphasizing his confidence and aggressive momentum.