Shloka 31
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
अथाप्लुत्य रथात् तूर्ण दण्डपाणिरिवान्तक: । मतवाले हाथीके समान पराक्रमी बलवान् भीमसेन उन गजराजोंको आते देख तुरंत ही रथसे कूदकर हाथमें विशाल गदा लिये दण्डधारी यमराजके समान उनपर टूट पड़े ।।
athāplutya rathāt tūrṇaṃ daṇḍapāṇir ivāntakaḥ | matavāle hastike samāna-parākramaḥ balavān bhīmasenaḥ tān gajarājān āyānto dṛṣṭvā tūrṇam eva rathāt kūditvā haste viśālāṃ gadāṃ gṛhītvā daṇḍadhara-yamarāja iva teṣūpari nipapāta || tam udyata-gadaṃ dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍavānāṃ mahāratham ||
Sañjaya dijo: Entonces Bhīmasena —poderoso en fuerza y arrojo, como un elefante en celo— saltó con presteza de su carro. Empuñando una enorme maza, se abalanzó sobre aquellos elefantes señores como la Muerte misma que porta la vara del castigo. Al ver a aquel gran guerrero de carro de los Pāṇḍava con la maza en alto…
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its battlefield form: decisive action, fearlessness, and readiness to confront overwhelming force. The comparison to Yama with the punitive staff underscores the ethical idea of inevitable consequence—when adharma-driven violence advances, it meets a fitting counterforce.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma seeing powerful war-elephants advancing. Bhīma immediately leaps from his chariot, takes up a massive mace, and charges them, likened to Death (Yama/Antaka) rushing in with the rod of punishment. The next line begins: the opposing side sees him with mace raised.