Shloka 36
Śalya-parva Adhyāya 26 — Duryodhana’s remnant formation and rapid engagements
ततस्तु संवृतो भीमस्तावकान् निशितै: शरैः । पीडयामास तान् सर्वान् सहस्राक्ष इवासुरान्,वे योद्धा भीमसेनके पास पहुँचकर उन्हें चारों ओरसे घेरकर खड़े हो गये। तब जैसे इन्द्र असुरोंको नष्ट करते हैं, उसी प्रकार घिरे हुए भीमसेनने पैने बाणोंद्वारा आपके उन समस्त सैनिकोंको पीड़ित करना आरम्भ किया
tatastu saṁvṛto bhīmastāvakān niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ | pīḍayāmāsa tān sarvān sahasrākṣa ivāsurān ||
Sañjaya said: Then Bhīma, though surrounded, began to harass and crush all your troops with his razor-sharp arrows—just as Sahasrākṣa (Indra) overwhelms the Asuras.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya valor and resilience: being surrounded does not imply defeat; steadfast courage and skill can reverse adversity. Ethically, it reflects the epic’s battlefield dharma where warriors meet force with force within the rules of war.
Kaurava fighters close in and surround Bhīma. Despite being encircled, Bhīma counters immediately, striking all around with sharp arrows, compared to Indra’s overpowering of the Asuras.