Shloka 63
अध्याय ६० — कर्णस्य पाञ्चाल-सोमक-निग्रहः
Karna’s Suppression of the Panchala–Somaka Forces
तमापतन्तं सहसा गजानीकं वृकोदर: । दृष्टवैव सुभशं क्रुद्धों दिव्यमस्त्रमुदैरयत्,सहसा अपनी ओर आती हुई उस गजसेनाको देखते ही भीमसेन अत्यन्त कुपित हो उठे और दिव्यास्त्रोंका प्रयोग करने लगे
tam āpatantaṃ sahasā gajānīkaṃ vṛkodaraḥ | dṛṣṭvaiva subhṛśaṃ kruddho divyam astram udairayat ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing the elephant-corps rushing toward him all at once, Vṛkodara (Bhīma) flared into fierce wrath and immediately unleashed a divine weapon. In the press of war, his response shows how overwhelming force is met with overwhelming counterforce—yet it also underscores the moral tension of escalating violence through celestial arms.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata tension: in war, anger and fear can drive rapid escalation, including the use of extraordinary (divine) means. It invites reflection on restraint versus necessity—how a warrior’s duty to protect can conflict with the ethical risk of intensifying destruction.
Sañjaya reports that an elephant division charges suddenly toward Bhīma. Bhīma, enraged at the onslaught, responds instantly by deploying a divine weapon to counter the massed elephant force.