Shloka 35
अन्धकार-रजःसंमूढे रणाङ्गणे प्रदीपप्रकाशः | Illumination of the Army in Darkness and Dust
ततो भीमो महाबाहुर्बाहुभ्यां विक्षिपन् धनु: । व्यराजत रणे राजन्सविद्युदिव तोयद:,राजन! उस रणक्षेत्रमें महाबाहु भीमसेन अपनी भुजाओंसे धनुषकी टंकार करते हुए बिजलीसहित मेघके समान शोभा पा रहे थे
tato bhīmo mahābāhur bāhubhyāṃ vikṣipan dhanuḥ | vyarājata raṇe rājan sa-vidyud iva toyadaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Bhīma, the mighty-armed, brandishing and shaking his bow with his powerful arms, shone upon the battlefield, O King, like a rain-cloud lit with lightning—an image of overwhelming force and impending destruction amid the righteous yet tragic clash of kinsmen.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of fearless readiness in a dharma-yuddha: Bhīma’s formidable presence is portrayed through a natural metaphor (lightning-charged rain-cloud), reminding the listener that power in war is awe-inspiring yet morally weighty, since it is exercised within the tragic constraints of duty and fate.
Sañjaya narrates to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma, on the battlefield, vigorously brandishes his bow and appears radiant and terrifying—like a storm-cloud with lightning—signaling his imminent, forceful engagement in the fighting.