Shloka 44
Droṇa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna-yuddha (द्रोण-धृष्टद्युम्न-युद्धम्) — Tactical duel and allied interventions
अलम्बुषस्तु समरे भैमसेनिं महाबलम् । बहुधा दारयामास शरै: संनतपर्वभि:,तब अलम्बुषने भी महाबली भीमसेनपुत्र घटोत्कचको झुकी हुई गाँठवाले बाणोंद्वारा समरांगणमें बहुत प्रकारसे घायल कर दिया
alambuṣas tu samare bhaimaseniṁ mahābalam | bahudhā dārayāmāsa śaraiḥ saṁnataparvabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Alambuṣa assailed the mighty Bhaimasenī—Ghaṭotkaca, son of Bhīmasena—piercing and wounding him in many ways with arrows whose joints were bent.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of dharma-yuddha as experienced on the battlefield: valor and strength must endure sustained, skillful assault. It implicitly points to the ethical tension of war—great warriors are tested not only by might but by disciplined technique and relentless engagement.
Sañjaya reports that Alambuṣa, in the midst of combat, strikes the mighty Bhaimaseni—identified in context as Ghaṭotkaca, Bhīma’s son—wounding him repeatedly with specially described arrows (saṁnata-parvan, ‘bent-jointed’).