कर्णके मारे जानेपर धृतराष्ट्रके पुत्रोंको भयभीत करते हुए भीमसेन भयंकर स्वरसे सिंहनाद करके आकाश और पृथ्वीको कँपाने तथा ताल ठोंककर नाचने-कूदने लगे ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
karṇe ca māre jñāte tu dhṛtarāṣṭrasutān bhayabhītān karayan bhīmaseno bhayaṅkara-svarena siṃhanādaṃ cakāra, ākāśaṃ pṛthivīṃ ca kampayan, tālāṃś ca āhatya nṛtyan-plavan babhūva ||
tathaiva rājan somakāḥ sṛñjayāś ca śaṅkhān dadhmuḥ, sasvajur api sarve parasparaṃ kṣatriyā hṛṣṭarūpāḥ sūtātmaje vai nihate tadānīm ||
Sañjaya said: When it became known that Karṇa had been slain, Bhīmasena—terrifying the sons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra with fear—roared like a lion in a dreadful voice, making sky and earth tremble; striking his arms in triumph, he began to dance and leap. Likewise, O King, the Somakas and the Sṛñjayas blew their conches and embraced one another; when the charioteer’s son was killed, the Kṣatriyas of the Pāṇḍava host were at that moment filled with exultation.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights how a pivotal fall in war reshapes morale and fear: victory is amplified through sound, gesture, and collective celebration, while the opposing side is psychologically shaken. Ethically, it reflects the Kṣatriya world where triumph is publicly asserted, even as the larger epic invites reflection on the cost of such exultation amid widespread destruction.
News spreads that Karṇa has been killed. Bhīma responds with a thunderous lion-roar and triumphant gestures that frighten the Kauravas. The Somakas and Sṛñjayas blow conches and embrace, and the Pāṇḍava-side warriors rejoice together at the turning point.