Shloka 50
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
भ्रान्तमाविद्धमुद्भ्रान्तमाप्लुतं प्रसृतं प्लुतम् । सम्पातं समुदीर्ण च दर्शयामास पाण्डव:
bhrāntam āviddham udbhrāntam āplutaṃ prasṛtaṃ plutam | sampātaṃ samudīrṇaṃ ca darśayāmāsa pāṇḍavaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then the Pāṇḍava (Bhīmasena) displayed many maneuvers of sword-fighting—whirling feints, rapid brandishing, sudden turns, leaps, extended advances, bounding movements, swooping descents, and forceful surges—moving through various lines of motion on the battlefield. The verse highlights disciplined martial skill directed toward the grim duty of war, where prowess is shown not for vanity but as part of one’s role amid a righteous conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores disciplined capability in the service of duty: martial excellence is portrayed as controlled skill exercised within the larger framework of kṣatriya-dharma during a righteous war, not as mere aggression or display.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma on the battlefield demonstrating numerous sword-fighting maneuvers—feints, spins, leaps, advances, and forceful attacks—showing his prowess as the combat intensifies.