Shloka 87
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५९
Arjuna Breaks the Encirclement; Bhīma Reinforces
“कुपित हुए पुरुषसिंह भीमसेनने दुर्योधनकी संगठित हुई तीन अक्षौहिणी सेनाओंको आगे बढ़नेसे रोक दिया है ।।
na śaknuvanti vai pārtha pārthivāḥ samudīkṣitum | madhyaṃdina-gataṃ sūryaṃ yathā durbala-cakṣuṣaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The kings cannot bring themselves to look upon Bhīmasena, the son of Kuntī—just as creatures with weak eyes cannot gaze at the midday sun. In the moral atmosphere of the battle, Bhīma’s wrath and prowess stand as a blazing force that checks the advance of Duryodhana’s massed armies, exposing how pride and aggression falter when confronted by overwhelming, righteous resolve.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the midday-sun simile to show how overwhelming moral and martial force can paralyze arrogant power: when a warrior’s resolve and strength blaze forth, those driven by fear or weakened courage cannot even face him directly.
Sañjaya reports that the opposing kings are unable to look at Bhīma (addressing Arjuna as Pārtha), likening their inability to weak-eyed beings who cannot stare at the midday sun—signaling Bhīma’s dominance and the enemy’s shaken morale at this point in the battle.