Shloka 37
Daśame’hani Bhīṣma-yuddham — Śikhaṇḍī-rakṣaṇa, Arjuna-prabhāva, Duryodhana-āśraya-vākyam
शोणिताक्तां गदां बिभ्रन्मेदोमज्जाकृतच्छवि: । कृताभ्यड्र: शोणितेन रुद्रवत् प्रत्यदृश्यत
śoṇitāktāṃ gadāṃ bibhran medomajjākṛtacchaviḥ | kṛtābhyadraḥ śoṇitena rudravat pratyadṛśyata ||
Sañjaya said: Bearing a mace smeared with blood, his appearance marred by the coating of fat and marrow, and anointed all over with blood, Bhīmasena appeared like Rudra himself—terrible and awe-inspiring in the midst of battle. The verse underscores the grim ethical weight of war: even a righteous cause manifests through frightening violence, and the warrior’s duty (kṣātra-dharma) can assume a form that is outwardly dreadful while being driven by obligation and resolve.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of dharma in war: even when fighting is undertaken as duty, its outward form is terrifying and stained by violence. It invites reflection on the moral gravity of battle and the burden borne by those who fight.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma on the battlefield: he carries a blood-smeared mace, his body coated with fat and marrow and anointed with blood, appearing fierce like Rudra—signaling Bhīma’s overwhelming, destructive momentum in combat.