Shloka 34
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
भानुमन्तं ततो भीम: प्राद्रवत् पुरुषर्षभ: । इस प्रकार पुरुषश्रेष्ठ भीमसेनने रणक्षेत्रमें उन चौदह तोमरोंको काटकर भानुमानपर धावा किया ।। ३३ ह || भानुमांस्तु ततो भीमं॑ शरवर्षेण च्छादयन्
sañjaya uvāca | bhānumantaṃ tato bhīmaḥ prādravat puruṣarṣabhaḥ | bhānumāṃs tu tato bhīmaṃ śaravarṣeṇa cchādayan |
Sañjaya said: Then Bhīma, the bull among men, charged straight at Bhānumān. But Bhānumān, in response, covered Bhīma with a rain of arrows. In the ethical frame of the battle narrative, the verse highlights the warrior’s duty (kṣātra-dharma): after neutralizing incoming weapons, a fighter advances without hesitation, while the opponent answers with disciplined, skillful resistance rather than retreat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣātra-dharma: a warrior meets aggression with steadiness—Bhima advances boldly after overcoming weapons, while Bhanuman responds with controlled martial force (a measured counterattack), reflecting duty-bound courage rather than fear or cruelty.
Sanjaya describes a duel sequence: Bhima rushes toward Bhanuman, and Bhanuman counters by blanketing Bhima with a dense volley of arrows, intensifying the close combat on the battlefield.