Shloka 45
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
श्येनवद् व्यचरद् भीमो रणेडरिषु बलोत्कट: । छिन्दंस्तेषां शरीराणि शिरांसि च महाबल:
sañjaya uvāca | śyenavad vyacarad bhīmo raṇe 'riṣu balotkaṭaḥ | chindāṁs teṣāṁ śarīrāṇi śirāṁsi ca mahābalaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Au plus fort du combat, Bhīma—terrible par sa puissance—se mouvait parmi les ennemis tel un faucon, tranchant leurs corps et séparant leurs têtes. Le vers souligne la férocité de la guerre des kṣatriya : la force de Bhīma y apparaît décisive et écrasante, mais inscrite dans la violence sombre et obligée du conflit de Kurukṣetra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the epic ideal of kṣatriya-dharma in wartime: a warrior, once engaged in a righteous battle, acts with unwavering force and resolve. It also implicitly confronts the moral gravity of war—heroism is inseparable from the harsh reality of destruction.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma’s battlefield rampage: he penetrates the enemy ranks and moves swiftly like a hawk, cutting down opponents by severing bodies and heads, emphasizing his overwhelming strength and the intensity of the fighting.