Shloka 28
भीमसेन-द्रोण-संग्रामः
Bhīmasena and Droṇa: Containment, Advance, and Recognition
बाहुभ्यामिव संतीर्णो सिन्धुषष्ठा: समुद्रगा: । तपान्ते सरितः पूर्णा महाग्राहसमाकुला:,उस समय ऐसा जान पड़ता था, मानो वर्षा-ऋतुमें जलसे लबालब भरी हुई बड़े-बड़े ग्राहोंसे व्याप्त समुद्रगामिनी इरावती (रावी), विपाशा (ब्यास), वितस्ता (झेलम), शतद्भू (शतलज) और चन्द्रभागा (चनाव)--इन पाँचों नदियोंके साथ छठी सिंधु नदीको श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनने अपनी भुजाओंसे तैरकर पार किया हो
bāhubhyām iva saṃtīrṇo sindhuṣaṣṭhāḥ samudragāḥ | tapānte saritaḥ pūrṇā mahāgrāhasamākulāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: It appeared as though, by the sheer strength of their arms, they had swum across the sea-bound rivers—five of them together with the Sindhu as the sixth—rivers swollen at the end of the hot season and crowded with great crocodiles.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfast resolve and extraordinary capability in the pursuit of one’s chosen duty amid war: obstacles that seem fearsome—like swollen, crocodile-filled rivers—are portrayed as surmountable when courage, skill, and higher purpose (here associated with Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna) are present.
Sañjaya describes, through a vivid simile, how it seemed as though Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna had crossed formidable, sea-bound rivers swollen at summer’s end and teeming with crocodiles—emphasizing the intensity of the moment and their exceptional prowess.