Shloka 39
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
ततो मुमोच कालिड्: शक्ति तामकरोद् द्विधा । खड्गेन पृथुना मध्ये भानुमन्तमथाच्छिनत्
tato mumoca kāliṅgaḥ śaktiṃ tām akarod dvidhā | khaḍgena pṛthunā madhye bhānumantam athācchinat ||
Then the Kaliṅga prince hurled his spear. Bhīmasena, however, split that weapon into two and, with his broad sword, cleft Bhānumān through the middle. Thus, in the fierce logic of battlefield dharma, swift counteraction and superior strength decide life and death in an instant.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh immediacy of kṣatriya-dharma in war: a warrior must respond decisively to lethal threats, and prowess combined with presence of mind determines outcomes; ethical reflection lies in recognizing war’s irreversible consequences even when actions follow battlefield duty.
A Kaliṅga prince hurls a śakti (spear) at Bhīma. Bhīma cuts the spear into two and then strikes down Bhānumān by cleaving him through the middle with a broad sword, as Sañjaya reports the events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra.