Shloka 45
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
श्येनवद् व्यचरद् भीमो रणेडरिषु बलोत्कट: । छिन्दंस्तेषां शरीराणि शिरांसि च महाबल:
sañjaya uvāca | śyenavad vyacarad bhīmo raṇe 'riṣu balotkaṭaḥ | chindāṁs teṣāṁ śarīrāṇi śirāṁsi ca mahābalaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Bhīma—terrible in strength—moved among the enemies like a hawk, cutting down their bodies and severing their heads. The verse underscores the ferocity of kṣatriya warfare: Bhīma’s power is portrayed as decisive and overwhelming, yet situated within the grim, duty-bound violence of the Kurukṣetra conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic ideal of kṣatriya-dharma in wartime: a warrior, once engaged in a righteous battle, acts with unwavering force and resolve. It also implicitly confronts the moral gravity of war—heroism is inseparable from the harsh reality of destruction.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma’s battlefield rampage: he penetrates the enemy ranks and moves swiftly like a hawk, cutting down opponents by severing bodies and heads, emphasizing his overwhelming strength and the intensity of the fighting.