Shloka 256
Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha
Verbal Duel and Omens
आह्वयामास नृपतिं सिंहं सिंहो यथा वने । उसी प्रकार पराक्रमी भीमसेनने लोहेकी गदा लेकर राजा दुर्योधनको ललकारा, मानो वनमें एक सिंह दूसरे सिंहको पुकार रहा हो
sañjaya uvāca | āhvayāmāsa nṛpatiṃ siṃhaṃ siṃho yathā vane |
Dijo Sañjaya: Así como un león llama a otro león en la selva, el poderoso Bhīmasena, empuñando una maza de hierro, desafió al rey Duryodhana. La imagen subraya el duelo culminante, cara a cara, de fuerza y determinación dentro de la carga moral de una guerra fratricida, donde el orgullo real y el deber kṣatriya chocan en la prueba final de la destreza.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of direct, public challenge in battle, while implicitly pointing to the ethical tension of the Kurukṣetra war: immense personal valor is exercised within a tragic conflict driven by pride and rivalry. The lion-simile elevates courage and parity of opponents, even as the narrative warns how royal arrogance and unresolved enmity culminate in destructive confrontation.
Sañjaya narrates that Bhīma, armed with an iron mace, calls out and challenges King Duryodhana to fight. The comparison to one lion calling another in the forest signals that the encounter is a decisive duel between two formidable warriors.