Shloka 35
तं तत्र भीम॑ ददृशु: समन्ताद् दौ:शासनं तद् रुधिरं पिबन्तम् । सर्वेडपलायन्त भयाभिपन्ना न वै मनुष्योडयमिति ब्रुवाणा:,जिन लोगोंने भीमसेनको दुःशासनका रक्त पीते देखा, वे सभी भयभीत हो यह कहते हुए सब ओर भागने लगे कि “यह मनुष्य नहीं राक्षस है!”
taṃ tatra bhīmaṃ dadṛśuḥ samantād dauḥśāsanaṃ tad rudhiraṃ pibantam | sarve 'palāyanta bhayābhipannā na vai manuṣyo 'yam iti bruvāṇāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: There they saw Bhīma on every side—drinking the blood of Duḥśāsana. Stricken with terror, all fled away, crying, “This is no man!”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral dissonance of war: even when an act is tied to a vow and retributive justice, its violent extremity can appear inhuman, reminding readers that dharma in battle often unfolds amid fear, rage, and ethical unease.
Sañjaya reports that warriors witness Bhīma drinking Duḥśāsana’s blood; terrified, they scatter in all directions, exclaiming that Bhīma is not a man—implying he seems like a rākṣasa due to the ferocity of the act.