Shloka 117
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
स हत्वा सर्वकालिज्ान् सेनामध्ये व्यतिष्ठत । नैनमभ्युत्सहन् केचित् तावका भरतर्षभ
sa hatvā sarva-kāliṅgān senā-madhye vyatiṣṭhata | nainam abhyutsahan kecit tāvakā bharatarṣabha ||
Sañjaya berkata: Setelah menewaskan seluruh prajurit Kaliṅga, Bhīmasena berdiri teguh di tengah-tengah bala tentara. Namun tak seorang pun dari pasukanmu, wahai banteng keturunan Bharata, berani maju menantangnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming martial excellence can paralyze opponents with fear, creating a moral tension between kṣatriya duty (to face the enemy) and the instinct for self-preservation. It also illustrates the epic’s recurring theme that adharma-driven war breeds escalating violence and psychological collapse.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma has annihilated the Kaliṅga contingent and now stands unshaken in the center of the battlefield formation. The Kaurava soldiers, intimidated by his ferocity and strength, cannot bring themselves to confront him.