Shloka 11
Sauptika-parva Adhyāya 13 — Bhīmasena’s Pursuit of Drauṇi and the Release of a Divine Astra
ते समार्च्छन्नरव्याप्रा: क्षणेन भरतर्षभ । भीमसेन महेष्वासं समनुद्रुत्य वेगिता:,भरतश्रेष्ठ! वे तीनों नरश्रेष्ठ बड़े वेगसे पीछे-पीछे दौड़कर क्षणभरमें महाधनुर्धर भीमसेनके पास जा पहुँचे
te samārcchann aravyāprāḥ kṣaṇena bharatarṣabha | bhīmasena-maheṣvāsaṃ samanudrutya vegitāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: O Stier unter den Bharatas, jene drei erlesensten Männer, schnell im Handeln, stürmten ihm mit großer Hast nach und erreichten in einem Augenblick Bhīmasena, den mächtigen Bogenschützen.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the heat of war, determination and urgency can override hesitation: swift pursuit becomes a sign of resolve. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—martial efficiency and courage on one side, and the escalating, often uncontrollable momentum of violence on the other.
Three warriors, moving with great speed, chase after and quickly catch up to Bhīma, described as a formidable archer. The narration emphasizes the immediacy of the encounter and the intensity of the pursuit.