Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 46
Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira
Book 9, Chapter 11
सो<वतीर्य रथात्तूर्ण हताश्वः पाण्डुनन्दन: । कालो दण्डमिवोद्यम्य गदां क्रुद्धो महाबल:
so ’vatīrya rathāt tūrṇaṃ hatāśvaḥ pāṇḍunandanaḥ | kālo daṇḍam ivodyamya gadāṃ kruddho mahābalaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Alors le puissant fils de Pāṇḍu, ses chevaux abattus, descendit promptement de son char. Furieux, il leva sa massue comme la Mort elle-même brandissant le bâton du châtiment, et s’avança avec une force terrible—signe que, dans le chaos moral de la guerre, la colère et la rétribution peuvent un instant éclipser la retenue et la conduite mesurée.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the image of Kāla (Death/Time) raising a punitive rod to show how battlefield rage can become an impersonal force of destruction; it implicitly warns that war tends to magnify anger and retaliation, challenging ethical restraint even for the righteous.
Bhīma’s horses have been killed, so he swiftly gets down from his chariot. Furious, he lifts his mace and moves like Death personified, preparing to strike back with overwhelming strength.
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