Shloka 11
Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)
पीडयित्वा तु राजानं शरैराशीविषोपमै: । अभ्यधावत् पुनर्भीम शरवर्षैरवाकिरत्
pīḍayitvā tu rājānaṃ śarair āśīviṣopamaiḥ | abhyadhāvat punaḥ bhīmaḥ śaravarṣair avākirat ||
Sañjaya sprach: Nachdem er den König mit Pfeilen gequält hatte, die giftigen Schlangen glichen, stürmte Bhīma erneut vor und überschüttete ihn mit einem Regen von Geschossen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the intensity of kṣatriya warfare: once advantage is gained, a warrior presses forward with unwavering force. Ethically, it also invites reflection on how duty-driven action in war can be relentless and effective, yet inseparable from suffering inflicted on others.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma wounding and harassing a king with deadly arrows, then charging again and overwhelming him with a sustained barrage—an escalating attack meant to break the opponent’s resistance.