Shloka 26

Devanagari script

विमुखं हतसूतं त॑ भीम: प्रहरतां वर: । जघान तलयुक्तेन प्रासेनाभ्येत्य पाण्डव:,सारथिके नष्ट हो जानेसे कोटिकास्यको रणसे विमुख हुआ देख योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ पाण्डुनन्दन भीमसेनने उसके पास जाकर प्रास नामक मूठदार शणस्त्रसे उसे मार डाला

Transliteration

vimukhaṁ hatasūtaṁ taṁ bhīmaḥ praharatāṁ varaḥ | jaghāna talayuktena prāsena abhyetya pāṇḍavaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Seeing him turn away from the fight after his charioteer had been slain, Bhīma—foremost among those who strike—advanced upon him and killed him with a prāsa, a spear fitted with a handle.

Word by Word

विमुखम्turned away, facing away

हतसूतम्whose charioteer was slain

तंhim

भीमःBhima

प्रहरताम्of those who strike/fight

वरःthe best

जघानslew, struck down

तलयुक्तेनwith (a weapon) furnished with a handle

प्रासेनwith a spear/javelin

अभ्येत्यhaving approached

पाण्डवःthe Pandava (Bhima)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīma (Bhīmasena)

Pāṇḍava

sūta (charioteer)

prāsa (spear/javelin)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the harsh but accepted logic of kṣatriya warfare: when an opponent becomes exposed—here by losing his charioteer and turning away—an accomplished warrior may press the advantage to neutralize danger swiftly, prioritizing decisive action over hesitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the enemy’s charioteer is killed, the warrior turns away from the battle. Bhīma approaches and kills him using a prāsa (a handled spear/javelin), as narrated by Vaiśampāyana.