Shloka 216
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
शक्रदेवो5भिदुद्राव शरैरवकिरन् शितै: । शत्रुदमन भीमसेनको वहाँ रथहीन हुआ देख शक्रदेव तीखे बाणोंकी वर्षा करता हुआ उनकी ओर दौड़ा
śakradevo 'bhidudrāva śarair avakiran śitaiḥ | śatrudamana bhīmasenako vahāṁ rathahīna huā dekh śakradeva tīkhē bāṇoṁkī varṣā kartā huā unakī ora dauṛā
Sañjaya dit : Voyant Bhīmasena, dompteur d’ennemis, privé de son char, Śakradeva se rua sur lui en le couvrant d’une pluie de flèches acérées. L’épisode souligne l’élan inexorable de la bataille : l’avantage se saisit dès que l’adversaire est à découvert, et la prouesse se mesure aux brusques renversements du sort.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the battlefield ethic of kṣatriya-dharma, vigilance and readiness are paramount: when a warrior becomes exposed (here, chariotless), the opponent presses the advantage. The verse highlights how swiftly circumstances change in war and how courage is measured in moments of sudden vulnerability.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīmasena has become rathahīna (without his chariot). Seeing this, Śakradeva charges toward him and showers him with sharp arrows, intensifying the immediate danger to Bhīma.