Shloka 70
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५९
Arjuna Breaks the Encirclement; Bhīma Reinforces
धार्रराष्ट्रान् विनिध्नन्ति क्रुद्धा: सिंहा इव द्विपान् “अर्जुन! देखो, इन वीरोंकी कैसी महिमा है? जैसे क्रोधमें भरे हुए सिंह हाथियोंको मार डालते हैं, उसी प्रकार ये पांचाल-योद्धा पराक्रम करके अपने बाणोंद्वारा शत्रुओंको रौंदते हुए रणभूमिमें सब ओर दौड़ रहे हैं ।।
dhārtarāṣṭrān vinighnanti kruddhāḥ siṃhā iva dvipān | “arjuna! paśya, ime vīrāṇāṃ kīdṛśī mahimā | yathā krodhabhareṇa siṃhā hastinaḥ pramāthya nihanti, tathā ime pāñcāla-yoddhāḥ parākrameṇa svaiḥ śaraiḥ śatrūn mṛdnantaḥ raṇabhūmau sarvataḥ dhāvanti || śastram ācchidya śatrūṇāṃ sāyudhānāṃ nirāyudhāḥ”
Sañjaya said: “They are striking down the Dhārtarāṣṭras like enraged lions felling elephants. Arjuna, behold the greatness of these heroes! As lions, swollen with wrath, bring down mighty tuskers, so these Pāñcāla warriors, displaying valor, trample the foe with their arrows and race in every direction across the battlefield. Cutting away the weapons of armed enemies, they leave them weaponless.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya valor and battlefield discipline: prowess is shown not merely by killing but by tactical superiority—disarming armed opponents and dominating the field. It underscores the epic’s ethic that courage and skill, when aligned with one’s duty in war, become a form of ‘mahimā’ (recognized greatness).
Sañjaya reports to the listener that the Pāñcāla fighters are overwhelming the Kaurava forces. Using a lion-versus-elephant comparison, he emphasizes their furious momentum: they rush across the battlefield, crush enemies with arrows, and even cut away opponents’ weapons, leaving them defenseless.