Shloka 28
Duryodhana-śibira-praveśaḥ — The Pāṇḍavas Enter the Kaurava Camp; The Burning of Arjuna’s Chariot
ऊरू भिन्धीति भीमस्य स्मृतिं मिथ्या प्रयच्छता
ūrū bhindhīti bhīmasya smṛtiṁ mithyā prayacchatā
Sanjaya said: By one who was deceitfully supplying Bhīma with a (false) recollection—urging him, “Strike the thighs!”—the course of the combat was being steered through misdirection.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how counsel and ‘reminders’ can be weaponized: in the pressure of war, deceitful prompting may push a warrior toward a decisive action that raises questions of propriety (dharma) and fair conduct.
Sañjaya reports that someone is urging Bhīma with the instruction “Strike the thighs,” while doing so through a misleading or deceitful ‘reminder,’ shaping Bhīma’s intent and the immediate tactics of the duel.