Shloka 42
भीमसेन-धृष्टद्युम्नयोर्वाक्यं
Bhīmasena and Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s Speeches on Kṣātra-Dharma
भीमसेन तु युध्यन्तं भारद्वाजरथं प्रति । स्वयं दुर्योधनो राजा प्रत्यविध्यच्छितै: शरै:
bhīmasena tu yudhyantaṃ bhāradvājarathaṃ prati | svayaṃ duryodhano rājā pratyavidhyac chitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: As Bhīmasena fought against the chariot-warrior of Bhāradvāja (Droṇa), King Duryodhana himself countered him, striking back with keen, well-aimed arrows. The scene shows that amid war’s moral collapse, even the king enters the fray in person to shield his side and check a formidable foe.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of direct responsibility in crisis: a ruler does not remain merely a commander but may personally enter danger to defend his forces. Ethically, it also reflects the tragic momentum of war, where valor and duty operate within a larger adharma-laden conflict.
Bhīma is engaged in combat against Droṇa (identified by his Bhāradvāja lineage). Seeing this, Duryodhana himself counter-attacks Bhīma, striking him with sharp arrows to check Bhīma’s advance and support Droṇa’s side.