Shloka 37
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
न भीम समरे मेने मानुषं भरतर्षभ । ततो भीमो महाबारहुर्न्दित्वा विपुलं स्वनम्
sañjaya uvāca | na bhīmaṃ samare mene mānuṣaṃ bharatarṣabha | tato bhīmo mahābāhur naditvā vipulaṃ svanam |
Sañjaya said: “O bull among the Bharatas, in that battle the warriors did not regard Bhīma as a mere man, but as something divine. Then the mighty-armed Bhīma, after letting out a tremendous roar, surged forward—sword in hand—leaping up with force and mounting the elephant-king by its tusks, climbing onto its head.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of fearless valor and the psychological power of extraordinary courage: when a warrior’s strength and resolve exceed ordinary limits, observers perceive him as ‘more than human,’ underscoring how prowess and steadfastness can inspire awe and shift morale in war.
Sañjaya reports that the troops, astonished by Bhīma’s ferocity, no longer see him as merely human. Bhīma roars loudly, rushes forward with a sword, and—using the elephant’s tusks as support—leaps up and climbs onto the head of the elephant-king.