Shloka 13
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
आविद्धयतो गदां तस्य भीमसेनस्य संयुगे । शब्द: सुतुमुलो घोरो मुहूर्त समपद्यत
āviddhyato gadāṁ tasya bhīmasenasya saṁyuge | śabdaḥ sutumulo ghoro muhūrtaṁ samapadyata, rājan |
Sañjaya dijo: «¡Oh rey! Cuando Bhīmasena hizo girar su maza en pleno combate, se alzó un estruendo inmenso y terrible, que perduró por un tiempo.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how power in war is not only physical but psychological: the terrifying sound of Bhīma’s whirling mace signals overwhelming force and shakes enemy morale. It also reflects Sañjaya’s role as a truthful reporter, conveying the gravity of violence without celebrating it as a moral good.
During the battle, Bhīmasena begins to whirl his mace. The motion produces an extremely loud, dreadful roar that persists for a short time, indicating the ferocity of the combat and the imminent danger to those facing him.