Shloka 54
अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः
Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces
कुरुसैन्यं ततः सर्व भीमसेनमुपाद्रवत् । तत्र नादो महानासीद् भीमसेनं जिघांसताम्
kuru-sainyaṁ tataḥ sarvaṁ bhīmasenam upādravat | tatra nādo mahān āsīd bhīmasenaṁ jighāṁsatām |
Sañjaya said: Then the entire Kuru host surged forward against Bhīmasena. In that moment a great roar arose on all sides from the Kurus who had come with the intent to kill Bhīma—an ominous cry of collective aggression as the battle’s fury narrowed upon a single target.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, hostility can rapidly become collective and single-minded: many unite around the intent to destroy one opponent. Ethically, it underscores the danger of hatred-driven action (jighāṁsā) overwhelming discernment, even as it reflects the harsh kṣatriya world where courage and survival are tested amid mass violence.
After a shift in the immediate battle situation, the entire Kaurava force charges at Bhīma. As they converge, a loud, widespread battle-cry erupts—signaling their coordinated attempt to kill him and marking an escalation focused on Bhīma as the target.