Shloka 27

Devanagari script

स तथा पाण्डुपुत्रेण बलिनाभिहतो5पतत्‌ | त॑ निहत्य महाराज भीमसेनो महाबल:

Transliteration

sa tathā pāṇḍuputreṇa balinābhihato 'patat | taṁ nihatya mahārāja bhīmaseno mahābalaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Struck down in that manner by the mighty son of Pāṇḍu, he fell. Having slain him, O King, the immensely powerful Bhīmasena stood victorious.

Word by Word

सःhe

तथाthus, in that manner

पाण्डु-पुत्रेणby the son of Pāṇḍu

बलिनाby the strong (one)

अभिहतःstruck, smitten

अपतत्fell down

तम्him

निहत्यhaving slain

महा-राजO great king

भीम-सेनःBhīmasena (Bhīma)

महा-बलःmighty, very strong

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Pāṇḍuputra (a Pāṇḍava)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'mahārāja')

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the grim ethic of kṣatriya warfare: once battle is joined, decisive action and steadfastness are expected, even though the act of killing remains morally weighty. It reflects how duty in war can demand harsh outcomes without celebrating cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that an opponent, struck by the mighty Pāṇḍava Bhīma, collapses; Bhīmasena has slain him, marking a decisive moment in the ongoing battle.