Shloka 13

भीष्मस्य अप्रतिमपराक्रमः — शिखण्डिपुरस्कृतः प्रहारः

Bhīṣma’s unmatched momentum and the assault with Śikhaṇḍin in the lead

Devanagari script

राक्षसं क्रूरकर्माणं भैमसेनिं महाबलम्‌

Transliteration

rākṣasaṁ krūrakarmāṇaṁ bhaimaseniṁ mahābalam

Translation

Sañjaya said: “(He beheld/mentioned) Bhīmasena’s son—mighty in strength—whose deeds were fierce, and who fought with a rākṣasa-like ferocity.”

Word by Word

• राक्षसम्: a demon, rākṣasa
• राक्षसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• क्रूरकर्माणम्: of cruel deeds
• क्रूरकर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रूरकर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भैमसेनिम्: Bhīmasena's (son/descendant); Bhīmaseni
• भैमसेनिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैमसेनि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महाबलम्: very strong, of great strength
• महाबलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena
• Bhaimaseni (son/descendant of Bhīma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how, in war, a warrior may be portrayed through morally charged imagery—“rākṣasa-like” and “fierce in deeds”—underscoring the ethical tension between necessary martial force (kṣatriya-duty) and the frightening, dehumanizing aspect of violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating the battlefield to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, characterizes a powerful fighter identified as Bhīmasena’s son/descendant as exceptionally strong and terrifying in combat, emphasizing the intensity and ferocity of the ongoing battle.