Shloka 5
इन्द्रस्य पाण्डवैः समागमः
Indra’s Meeting with the Pāṇḍavas
स्फुरतश्न महाकायान् गतसत्त्वांश्व॒ राक्षसान् महाबलान् महासत्त्वान् भीमसेनेन पातितान्,साथ ही उन्होंने भीमसेनके द्वारा मार गिराये हुए महान् शक्तिशाली तथा परम उत्साही विशालकाय राक्षस भी देखे, जिनमेंसे कुछ छटपटा रहे थे और कुछ मरे पड़े थे
sphuratāś ca mahākāyān gatasattvāṃś ca rākṣasān mahābalān mahāsattvān bhīmasenena pātitān
Vaiśampāyana said: They also saw the huge-bodied rākṣasas—some still twitching, others already lifeless—mighty in strength and fierce in spirit, all struck down by Bhīmasena. The scene lays bare the grim aftermath of violence: prowess has consequences, and the line between valor and destruction stands revealed in the fallen bodies.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral weight of force: even when violence is directed against hostile beings, its aftermath is stark and sobering. It invites reflection on dharma in conflict—strength used for protection may be necessary, yet it still produces suffering and death that should not be romanticized.
The narrator reports that the observers see the gigantic rākṣasas whom Bhīmasena has already felled—some still twitching, some lying dead—emphasizing Bhīma’s overwhelming power and the immediate aftermath of the encounter.