Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
हताश्वे स रथे तिष्ठन् भीमसेन: प्रतापवान् । शक्तिं चिक्षेप तरसा गाड्रेयस्य रथं प्रति
hatāśve sa rathe tiṣṭhan bhīmasenaḥ pratāpavān | śaktiṃ cikṣepa tarasā gāḍreyasya rathaṃ prati ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Aunque los caballos de su carro habían sido abatidos, el poderoso y valeroso Bhīmasena se mantuvo firme sobre el carro y, con ímpetu repentino, arrojó la lanza śakti directamente hacia el carro de Gāḍreya.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights steadfastness and kṣatriya resolve: even when materially disadvantaged (a chariot without horses), a warrior committed to his duty does not collapse into despair but acts decisively within the harsh framework of battlefield dharma.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma, standing on a chariot whose horses have been killed, forcefully hurls a śakti (spear/javelin) toward the chariot of Gāḍreya, continuing the combat despite the setback.