Shloka 61
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
प्रमथिष्यन्निव शिरो भीमसेनस्य संयुगे । भरतवंशका वह श्रेष्ठ वीर हाथमें गदा लेकर युद्धस्थलमें भीमसेनका मस्तक कुचल डालनेके लिये उनकी ओर दौड़ा ।। ६० ह || स महात्मा महात्मानं भीम॑ भीमपराक्रम:
pramathiṣyann iva śiro bhīmasenasya saṁyuge | bharatavaṁśakaḥ sa vai śreṣṭho vīraḥ hastamāṁ gadāṁ gṛhītvā yuddhasthale bhīmasenasya mastakaṁ kucalituṁ tadābhimukhaṁ drutam adhāvat || sa mahātmā mahātmānaṁ bhīmaṁ bhīmaparākramaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: As if to crush Bhīmasena’s head in the thick of battle, that foremost hero of the Bharata line, gripping his mace, rushed across the battlefield toward him, intent on smashing Bhīma’s skull. Thus that great-souled warrior, of dreadful prowess, charged at the great-souled Bhīma, whose might was itself terrifying.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of unwavering resolve and valor in battle, while implicitly revealing the moral cost of war: greatness (mahātmā) is shown through courage and commitment to one’s role, even when the immediate intent is lethal.
Sañjaya describes a foremost Bharata-line warrior seizing a mace and charging at Bhīma, seemingly determined to crush Bhīma’s head—setting the tone for a fierce close-combat encounter centered on mace-fighting.