Shloka 14
Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)
गदाभिमरुसलै श्चैव भिन्दिपालै: सतोमरै: । आयसै: परिधघैश्नैव निस्त्रिंशैर्विमलै: शितै:
gadābhimarusalaiś caiva bhindipālaiḥ satōmaraiḥ | āyasaiḥ paridhaghaiś caiva nistriṁśair vimalaiḥ śitaiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Les guerriers poussèrent le combat avec des armes lourdes—masses et gourdins de fer, bhindipālas et javelots, barres de fer (parighas), et des épées éclatantes, tranchantes comme des rasoirs.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse does not preach directly; it intensifies the war tableau by naming weapons of close combat. Implicitly, it highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare—where duty-driven conflict can devolve into brutal hand-to-hand violence—inviting reflection on the ethical cost of battle even when fought under the banner of dharma.
Sañjaya reports the battlefield action to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describing fighters striking with maces, clubs, javelins, iron bars, and sharp swords—signaling a fierce, crowded engagement where many kinds of weapons are simultaneously in use.