Adhyāya 113: Karṇa–Bhīma Śaravarṣa and the Battlefield Aftermath (कर्णभीमशरवर्षः)
तस्यापि च महाबाहो नित्यं पश्यामि संयुगे | नान्यं हि प्रतियोद्धारं रौक्मिणेयादृते प्रभो
tasyāpi ca mahābāho nityaṃ paśyāmi saṃyuge | nānyaṃ hi pratiyoddhāraṃ raukmiṇeyād ṛte prabho ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ô toi aux bras puissants, seigneur, au cœur de la mêlée je le constate sans cesse : hormis Pradyumna, fils de Rukmiṇī, je ne vois nul autre guerrier capable de se tenir devant Droṇācārya et de l’affronter en véritable adversaire.»
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights discernment in warfare: true opposition to overwhelming power requires exceptional capability. Ethically, it underscores responsible appraisal of strength—recognizing when only a suitably matched champion should confront a formidable teacher-warrior like Droṇa, rather than sending unfit fighters into certain defeat.
Sañjaya reports battlefield realities to the king, emphasizing Droṇa’s dominance. He states that, in his observation, only Pradyumna—identified as Rukmiṇī’s son—appears capable of standing before Droṇa as a genuine counter-combatant.
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