Shloka 89
युधिष्ठिरस्य धनंजय-प्रति गर्हा
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Reproach to Dhanaṃjaya
तत् तु विप्रहतं सैन्यं भीमसेनमुखास्तदा
tat tu viprahataṃ sainyaṃ bhīmasenamukhās tadā
Sanjaya said: But that army, struck down and shattered—then led at the front by Bhīmasena and his foremost warriors—stood in the wake of that fierce onslaught, its strength broken by the blows it had received.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores a recurring Mahabharata ethic of leadership under crisis: when a force is battered, the presence of a steadfast front-line leader (here, Bhīmasena) becomes decisive for morale and continued resistance, even amid the destructive momentum of war.
Sanjaya reports that the army has been heavily struck and disrupted; at that moment it is characterized as being led from the front by Bhīmasena and the foremost fighters, indicating a rallying or continued engagement after suffering severe blows.