Shloka 5
स हि भीमो रथश्चास्य हया: सूतश्न मारिष | संवृता द्रोणपुत्रेण पावकान्तर्गता&भवन्,माननीय नरेश! भीमसेन तथा उनके रथ, घोड़े और सारथि--ये सभी अभश्वत्थामाके अस्त्रसे आच्छादित हो आगकी लपटोंके भीतर आ गये थे
sa hi bhīmo rathaś cāsya hayāḥ sūtaś ca māriṣa | saṃvṛtā droṇaputreṇa pāvakāntargatā abhavan, mānanīya nareśa |
Sañjaya said: O revered king, Bhīma—together with his chariot, horses, and charioteer—was completely enveloped by the weapon of Droṇa’s son. Covered over by Aśvatthāman’s missile, they seemed to have been driven into the very midst of blazing fire.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension of warfare: extraordinary weapons (astras) can overwhelm even great heroes, suggesting the need for restraint and discernment in the use of power, lest martial duty turn into indiscriminate destruction.
Sañjaya reports to the king that Bhīma, along with his chariot, horses, and charioteer, has been enveloped by Aśvatthāman’s weapon, appearing as though they have entered a mass of flames—an image of sudden, intense danger on the battlefield.