Shloka 18
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
उस समय भीमसेन नाना प्रकारके मार्ग और विचित्र मण्डल दिखाने लगे। वे कभी शत्रुके सम्मुख आगे बढ़ते और कभी उसका सामना करते हुए ही पीछे हट आते थे ।।
sañjaya uvāca | astrayantrāṇi citrāṇi sthānāni vividhāni ca | parimokṣaṃ prahārāṇāṃ varjanaṃ paridhāvanam |
Sañjaya dijo: En aquel momento Bhīmasena desplegó múltiples sendas tácticas y formaciones circulares intrincadas. Unas veces avanzaba de frente hacia el enemigo; otras, retrocedía sin dejar de encararlo. Mostrando maravillosos artificios de armas y posiciones diversas, esquivaba los golpes que venían, volvía inútiles los ataques del adversario y se lanzaba de un lado a otro por el campo.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that effective warrior-dharma is not only raw strength but also disciplined technique—knowing when to advance, when to withdraw without turning away, and how to evade and neutralize attacks. Skillful restraint and alert strategy reduce needless loss while fulfilling one’s duty in battle.
Sanjaya describes Bhimasena’s dynamic fighting: he demonstrates varied stances and tactical movements, sometimes pressing forward and sometimes retreating while still facing the foe, using intricate weapon-techniques and footwork to evade blows, render the opponent’s strikes ineffective, and move rapidly side to side.