Shloka 20
तथैव भीमसेनेन द्विषते प्रेषिता गदा । तापयामास तत् सैन्यं महोल्का पतती यथा,इसी प्रकार भीमसेनने शत्रुको लक्ष्य करके जो गदा चलायी थी, वह आकाशसे गिरती हुई बड़ी भारी उल्काके समान कौरव-सेनाको संतप्त करने लगी
tathaiva bhīmasenena dviṣate preṣitā gadā | tāpayāmāsa tat sainyaṁ maholkā patatī yathā ||
Sañjaya said: In the same manner, the mace hurled by Bhīmasena at his foe began to scorch the Kaurava host, as though a great meteor were falling from the sky.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how violence, once released with hostile intent, rarely remains limited to a single opponent; it spreads and inflicts wider suffering. The meteor simile conveys the impersonal, consuming force of destructive action in war, inviting reflection on restraint and responsibility even amid kṣatriya conflict.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma hurling his mace at an enemy; the weapon’s descent is compared to a massive meteor, and its impact/trajectory is said to ‘scorch’ the Kaurava ranks, emphasizing the devastation Bhīma causes in the battle.