Shloka 116
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
बभूव सुमहान् शब्द: सागरस्येव गर्जतः । भरतनन्दन! संग्रामभूमिमें युद्ध करती हुई उस कलिंग-सेनाका महान् कोलाहल समुद्रकी गर्जनाके समान जान पड़ता था
sañjaya uvāca |
babhūva sumahān śabdaḥ sāgarasyeva garjataḥ |
bharatanandana saṅgrāmabhūmau yuddhaṃ kurvatyāḥ kaliṅga-senāyā mahān kolāhalaḥ sāgaragarjanāsamaḥ pratibhāti |
bhīmasenas tato rājan apayāte mahāvrate |
prajajvāla yathā vahnir dahan kakṣam ivedhitaḥ ||
Terdengarlah gemuruh yang amat besar, laksana samudra menggelegar. Wahai keturunan Bharata, hiruk-pikuk pasukan Kalinga yang bertempur di medan laga tampak seperti deru lautan. Lalu, wahai raja, ketika Bhishma sang pemegang sumpah agung mundur dari gelanggang, Bhimasena menyala-nyala—bagai api yang tersulut di semak kering, membakar habis saat merambat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how vows and duty shape conduct in war: Bhīṣma is marked by steadfast restraint (a ‘great vow’), while Bhīma’s righteous fury intensifies when the battlefield’s balance shifts. Ethically, it contrasts disciplined commitment with the surge of martial energy that can arise when a formidable elder withdraws.
Sañjaya describes the deafening tumult of the Kalinga troops in combat, likening it to the ocean’s roar. Then he notes that after Bhīṣma—renowned for his great vow—pulls back from the fighting, Bhīma’s prowess flares up like a fire spreading through dry brushwood.