Shloka 3
प्रायात् ततः सत्वरमुग्रवेगो यतो भीमस्तद् बल॑ गन्तुमैच्छत् । ततो<परे नागरथाश्रपत्तिभि: प्रत्युद्ययुस्तं कुरव: समन्तात्,'सूत! तुम अपने वाहनोंद्वारा वेगपूर्वक आगे बढ़ो। जिससे इन धुृतराष्ट्रपुत्रोंको मैं यमलोक भेज सकूँ।” भीमसेनके इस प्रकार आदेश देनेपर सारथि तुरंत ही भयंकर वेगसे युक्त हो आपके पुत्रोंकी सेनाकी ओर, जिधर भीमसेन जाना चाहते थे, चल दिया। तब अन्यान्य कौरवोंने हाथी, घोड़े, रथ और पैदलोंकी विशाल सेना साथ ले सब ओरसे उनपर आक्रमण किया
sañjaya uvāca |
prāyāt tataḥ satvaram ugravego yato bhīmas tad balaṃ gantum aicchat |
tato 'pare nāga-rathāśva-pattibhiḥ pratyudyayus taṃ kuravaḥ samantāt ||
Sañjaya said: Then his charioteer drove on at once with terrible speed, heading toward the force that Bhīma wished to reach. Thereupon the other Kurus, bringing forward elephants, chariots, horses, and infantry, surged out from every side to counterattack him. The scene underscores Bhīma’s fierce resolve to send Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons to Yama’s realm, and the Kurus’ collective effort to resist him amid the escalating ethics of battlefield duty and vengeance.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between personal wrath and battlefield duty: Bhīma’s lethal resolve meets the Kurus’ organized counteraction. Ethically, it reflects how kṣatriya-dharma can intensify conflict—valor and duty operate alongside vengeance, and collective responsibility shapes the course of violence.
At Bhīma’s urging, his charioteer drives rapidly toward the section of the enemy host Bhīma wants to strike. Seeing this, the other Kauravas mobilize a combined-arms response—elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry—attacking him from all directions.