Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तथा ते राक्षसा: सर्वे भीमसेनमुपाद्रवन्‌ । नानाप्रहरणा भीमास्त्वत्सुतानां जयैषिण:,आपके पुत्रोंकी विजय चाहनेवाले वे समस्त भयंकर राक्षस हाथोंमें नाना प्रकारके अस्त्र-शस्त्र लेकर भीमसेनपर टूट पड़े

Transliteration

tathā te rākṣasāḥ sarve bhīmasenam upādravan | nānā-praharaṇā bhīmās tvat-sutānāṁ jayaiṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Da stürmten all jene grimmigen Rākṣasas, mit mancherlei Waffen gerüstet, auf Bhīmasena los, getrieben vom Verlangen, deinen Söhnen den Sieg zu sichern. Im Taumel des Krieges verhärtet sich die Treue zur eigenen Seite leicht zu erbarmungsloser Gewalt.“

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

तेthose (they)

राक्षसाःRakshasas, demons

सर्वेall

भीमसेनम्Bhimasena

उपाद्रवन्attacked, rushed upon

नानाvarious, many kinds of

प्रहरणाःweapons, arms

भीमाःterrible, fearsome

त्वत्your

सुतानाम्of (your) sons

जयvictory

एषिणःseeking, desiring

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

Bhimasena (Bhima)

Rakshasas

Dhritarashtra's sons (Kauravas)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how the pursuit of victory for one’s faction can intensify violence and eclipse restraint; ethical pressure in war often comes from allegiance and ambition rather than from dharma-guided self-control.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya reports that a group of formidable Rākṣasa fighters, carrying diverse weapons and intent on winning for Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons, collectively charge and attack Bhīmasena.