Shloka 523
भीमसेन-धृष्टद्युम्नयोर्वाक्यं
Bhīmasena and Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s Speeches on Kṣātra-Dharma
तव पुत्रो महाराज जितकाशी मदोत्कट: । दुर्योधनने शीघ्रतापूर्वक हाथ चलानेवाले कुशल योद्धाकी भाँति भीमसेनके उस धनुषको भी शीघ्र ही काट दिया। महाराज! भीमसेनके हाथमें लिये हुए दूसरे, तीसरे, चौथे और पाँचवें धनुषको भी विजयसे उल्लसित होनेवाले आपके मदोनन््मत्त पुत्रने काट डाला
tava putro mahārāja jitakāśī madotkaṭaḥ | duryodhanaḥ śīghratāpūrvakaṃ hasta-calanevale kuśala-yoddhā iva bhīmasenasya tad dhanuḥ api śīghram eva chittvā | mahārāja bhīmasenasya haste gṛhītāni dvitīya-tṛtīya-caturtha-pañcamāni dhanūṃṣi api vijayena ullasitaḥ tava madonmattaḥ putraḥ chittavān |
Sañjaya said: O King, your son Duryodhana—exultant, fiercely intoxicated with pride, and confident of victory—swiftly cut down Bhīmasena’s bow, moving his hands with the speed and skill of a seasoned warrior. Then, O Majesty, as Bhīma took up a second, a third, a fourth, and even a fifth bow, your son, elated by the prospect of triumph, severed each of them as well. The scene underscores how martial prowess, when fueled by arrogance and the hunger for victory, can intensify the violence of war and harden the combatants’ resolve.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how skill and courage in battle, when driven by pride and intoxication with victory, can deepen hostility and accelerate violence. It implicitly cautions that martial excellence without self-restraint (dama) and ethical clarity can become an instrument of arrogance rather than dharma.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Duryodhana rapidly severs Bhima’s bow. When Bhima takes up successive bows—second through fifth—Duryodhana, buoyed by confidence and the thrill of victory, cuts those bows as well, displaying speed and battlefield mastery.