Shloka 25
Adhyāya 110: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament on Fate; Saṃjaya’s Reproof and the Princes’ Assault on Bhīma (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय ११०)
एवमुक््त्वा ततो भीममन्तर्धानं गतस्तदा । महता शरवर्षेण भूशं तं समवाकिरत्,भीमसेनसे ऐसा कहकर वह राक्षस उसी समय अन्तर्धान हो गया और फिर उनके ऊपर बाणोंकी भारी वर्षा करने लगा
evam uktvā tato bhīmam antardhānaṁ gatas tadā | mahatā śaravarṣeṇa bhūśaṁ taṁ samavākirat ||
Sañjaya said: Having spoken thus, that rākṣasa at once vanished from sight; and then, with a mighty shower of arrows, he fiercely covered Bhīmasena on all sides—an act of war that relies on concealment and overwhelming force rather than open, face-to-face combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a wartime ethical tension: victory sought through concealment and surprise (antardhāna, sudden arrow-rain) contrasts with the ideal of straightforward kṣatriya combat. It invites reflection on how fear, rage, or desperation can push fighters toward tactics that test the boundaries of dharma.
After speaking to Bhīma, an unnamed rākṣasa vanishes from sight and immediately launches a heavy barrage of arrows, attempting to overwhelm Bhīmasena through invisibility and sustained missile attack.