Shloka 51
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
विशेषयन् सूतपुत्र॑ भीमस्तिषछ्ेति चाब्रवीत् । परन्तु भीमसेनने अपनेको सूतपुत्रसे विशिष्ट सिद्ध करते हुए बाणोंद्वारा आकाशमें उन बाणोंमेंसे प्रत्येकके तीन-तीन टुकड़े कर डाले और कर्णसे कहा--“अरे! खड़ा रह” ।। ५० ३ || पुनश्चासृजदुग्राणि शरवर्षाणि पाण्डव:
sañjaya uvāca | viśeṣayan sūtaputraṃ bhīmas tiṣṭheti cābravīt | punaś cāsṛjad ugrāṇi śaravarṣāṇi pāṇḍavaḥ ||
Sanjaya said: Seeking to prove himself superior to the charioteer’s son (Karna), Bhima cried, “Stand your ground!” Then the Pandava again unleashed fierce showers of arrows, intensifying the combat and asserting his resolve amid the moral strain of fratricidal war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within the violence of war, the epic highlights the warrior-code tension between personal pride and rightful duty: Bhima’s challenge and renewed arrow-rain show resolve and valor, while also illustrating how rivalry and harsh speech can inflame conflict and test ethical restraint.
Sanjaya describes Bhima confronting Karna (called ‘Sūtaputra’), daring him to stand firm. Bhima then intensifies the fight by releasing fierce volleys—an ‘arrow-rain’—signaling escalation in their battlefield exchange.