Shloka 16
भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas
ततो राजंस्तव सुता भीमसेनमुपाद्रवन् । परिवार्य रणे द्रोणं वसवो वासवं यथा,राजन्! तब आपके पुत्र, जैसे वसुगण इन्द्रके सब ओर खड़े होते हैं, उसी प्रकार द्रोणाचार्यको चारों ओरसे घेरकर रणभूमिमें भीमसेनपर टूट पड़े
tato rājan tava sutā bhīmasenam upādravan | parivārya raṇe droṇaṃ vasavo vāsavaṃ yathā ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O King, your sons rushed upon Bhīmasena. Having surrounded Droṇa in the battle—just as the Vasus stand encircling Vāsava (Indra)—they fell upon Bhīma on the field.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in war, allegiance and the urge to secure victory drive coordinated violence: the Kauravas both shield their leader (Droṇa) and concentrate their assault on a key adversary (Bhīma). It invites reflection on the ethical strain between duty to one’s side and the escalating harm that such duty can produce.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava princes rush to attack Bhīma. They form a protective encirclement around Droṇa on the battlefield—likened to the Vasus surrounding Indra—while simultaneously falling upon Bhīma with force.