Shloka 22
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
भीमस्योपरि राजेन्द्र शक्रदेवो महाबल:
bhīmasyopari rājendra śakradevo mahābalaḥ
Sañjaya said: “O king, mighty Śakra himself, endowed with great power, came to be above Bhīma—overseeing and supporting him in that moment.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata theme that human valor in dharmic struggle may be accompanied by divine oversight; power and success are not merely personal but can reflect providential support aligned with a larger moral order.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Indra (Śakra), the powerful king of the gods, is positioned ‘above’ Bhīma—suggesting protection, encouragement, or a decisive divine presence connected with Bhīma’s actions in the battle context.