Shloka 88
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५९
Arjuna Breaks the Encirclement; Bhīma Reinforces
एते भीमस्य संत्रस्ता: सिंहस्येवेतरे मृगा: । शरै: संत्रासिता: संख्ये न लभन्ते सुखं क्वचित्
ete bhīmasya saṁtrastāḥ siṁhasyevetare mṛgāḥ | śaraiḥ saṁtrāsitāḥ saṅkhye na labhante sukhaṁ kvacit ||
Sañjaya said: “These men, terrified of Bhīma, are like other beasts before a lion. Struck with fear by his arrows in the thick of battle, the Kaurava soldiers find no peace anywhere on the field.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear arises from the visible consequences of one’s actions in war: when a force is overwhelmed by a superior warrior, inner composure collapses and peace becomes impossible. It also underscores the ethical weight of battle—courage and steadiness are virtues, while panic spreads suffering and disorder.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava troops, shaken by Bhīma’s onslaught, are fleeing and unsettled. Bhīma’s arrows have made them so fearful that, like animals before a lion, they cannot find safety or calm anywhere on the battlefield.