Shloka 22

Devanagari script

जज्वाल भीम॑ं स तदा स्मयेन संशृण्वतां कौरवसोमकानाम्‌ । उक्तस्तदा55जौ स तथा सरोषं जगाद भीम॑ परिवर्तनेत्र:,भीमसेनका यह अत्यन्त भयंकर वचन सुनकर दुःशासनने उनकी ओर देखा। देखते ही वह क्रोधसे जल उठा। युद्धस्थलमें उनके वैसा कहनेपर उसकी त्यौरी बदल गयी थी; अतः वह समस्त कौरवों तथा सोमकोंके सुनते-सुनते मुसकराकर रोषपूर्वक बोला --

Transliteration

jajvāla bhīmaṁ sa tadā smayena saṁśṛṇvatāṁ kaurava-somakānām | uktas tadā yuddhe sa tathā saroṣaṁ jagāda bhīmaṁ parivartanetraḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: At that moment, in the hearing of the Kauravas and the Somakas, he (Duḥśāsana) looked toward Bhīma; and as soon as he saw him, he blazed with anger. When Bhīma spoke thus on the battlefield, his expression changed; then, smiling before all those listeners, he replied to Bhīma with wrath—revealing the ethical tension of war-words that inflame vengeance and harden resolve rather than restore restraint.

Word by Word

जज्वालblazed up, flared (with anger)

भीमम्Bhima

सःhe

तदाthen

स्मयेनwith a smile

संशृण्वताम्of (those) listening

कौरवof the Kauravas

सोमकानाम्of the Somakas

उक्तःhaving been addressed / when spoken to

तदाthen

चand

असौthat man / he (there)

तथाthus, in that manner

सरोषम्with anger, angrily

जगादsaid, spoke

भीमम्to Bhima

परिवर्तन-नेत्रःwhose eyes were rolling/changed (in anger)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīma (Bhīmasena)

Duḥśāsana

Kauravas

Somakas

battlefield (yuddha-raṅga)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how words spoken in war can trigger immediate emotional escalation: a smile can mask contempt, and anger can override restraint. Ethically, it warns that hostile speech and retaliatory intent intensify adharma-like conduct even within a kṣatriya battlefield setting, where self-control remains a virtue.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīma utters a fierce statement on the battlefield, Duḥśāsana turns to look at him. Seeing Bhīma, Duḥśāsana becomes inflamed with anger; his expression changes, and in front of both Kauravas and Somakas he smiles and then replies to Bhīma in a wrathful tone.