Shloka 156
Adhyāya 195 — Arjuna’s Capability and Restraint Regarding Divyāstras
Udyoga Parva
भीमसेनस्य दुर्धर्ष प्रथमं प्रादिशद् बलम् । पाण्डुपुत्र युधिष्ठिरने द्रौपदीके महाधनुर्धर पुत्र
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
bhīmasenasya durdharṣaḥ prathamaṃ prādiśad balam |
pāṇḍuputra-yudhiṣṭhireṇa draupadyāḥ mahādhanuḥdhara-putrāḥ, abhimanyuḥ, nakulaḥ, sahadevaḥ, samasta-prabhadraka-vīrāḥ, daśa-sahasraṃ aśvārūḍhāḥ, dve-sahasre gajārūḍhāḥ, daśa-sahasraṃ padātayaḥ tathā pañca-śatā rathinaḥ—eteṣāṃ prathamaṃ durdharṣa-dalaṃ bhīmasenasya adhyakṣatve nyastaṃ |
Vaiśampāyana said: Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Pāṇḍu, first assigned to Bhīmasena a formidable vanguard force. Into this first hard-to-assail division he placed the mighty bowmen who were the sons of Draupadī, along with Abhimanyu, Nakula, Sahadeva, all the valiant Prabhadrakas, ten thousand cavalry, two thousand elephant-riders, ten thousand infantry, and five hundred chariot-warriors—entrusting their command to Bhīma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dharmic leadership: assigning responsibility according to capability, placing the most steadfast warriors under a proven commander, and organizing collective strength with accountability rather than impulse.
During the war preparations, Yudhiṣṭhira forms the first formidable division of the Pāṇḍava forces—comprising Draupadī’s sons, Abhimanyu, Nakula, Sahadeva, the Prabhadrakas, and specified numbers of cavalry, elephants, infantry, and charioteers—and entrusts its command to Bhīma.