Shloka 58
भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः
Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt
विक्षोभ्याम्भोनिधिं पार्थस्तं नागमिव सो5ग्रहीत् । ततस्तु सर्वपाञज्चाला विद्रवन्ति दिशो दश
vaishampāyana uvāca | vikṣobhyāmbhonidhiṃ pārthas taṃ nāgam iva so 'grahīt | tatas tu sarvapāñcālā vidravanti diśo daśa ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: Pārtha, hijo de Pṛthā, lo apresó como se apresaría a una serpiente después de que el océano ha sido agitado hasta el tumulto. Entonces todos los Pāñcālas, sobrecogidos de miedo, huyeron en las diez direcciones.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how decisive courage and control over the enemy’s leader can end conflict swiftly: when leadership is neutralized, mass violence often collapses into flight. Ethically, it reflects kṣatriya prowess directed toward achieving an objective with mastery rather than indiscriminate slaughter.
Arjuna forcefully seizes his opponent (in the Pañcāla context, the king/leader), compared to grasping a serpent after the ocean is violently agitated. Seeing this, the Pañcāla forces panic and scatter in all directions.