Shloka 46
अध्याय १५९ — रात्रौ श्रमविरामः
Night Exhaustion and Brief Pause in Battle
बीभस्सुर्दक्षिणं पार्श्वमुत्तरं च वृकोदर: । भारद्वाजं शरौघाभ्यां महदभ्यामभ्यवर्षताम्
bībhatsur dakṣiṇaṃ pārśvam uttaraṃ ca vṛkodaraḥ | bhāradvājaṃ śaraughābhyāṃ mahadabhyām abhyavarṣatām ||
Sañjaya said: Arjuna covered the right flank, and Vṛkodara (Bhīma) the northern side; together they poured down a great, dense shower of arrows upon Bhāradvāja (Droṇa).
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights coordinated action and steadfast performance of one’s chosen duty in a crisis. Ethically, it also reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension: even revered relationships (like teacher and student) can be overridden when one enters adharma-laden warfare, compelling opponents to respond with disciplined force.
Sañjaya reports that Arjuna takes the right flank and Bhīma the northern side, and the two of them together unleash heavy volleys of arrows at Droṇa (called Bhāradvāja), pressing him from coordinated positions on the battlefield.