Shloka 81
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
भीम: सप्त शतान् वीराननयद् यमसादनम् । पुनश्चैव द्विसाहस्नान् कलिज्ञानरिमर्दन:
Bhīmaḥ sapta śatān vīrān anayad yamasādanam | punaś caiva dvi-sāhasrān kali-jñāna-rimardanaḥ ||
Bhima, penghancur musuh, mengirim tujuh ratus kesatria ke kediaman Yama. Lalu sekali lagi ia menewaskan dua ribu prajurit Kalinga dan mengirim mereka ke alam kematian.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the stark ethical gravity of war: even when a warrior acts within kṣatriya duty, the outcome is mass death. It implicitly urges reflection on the cost of violence and the responsibility that accompanies strength and tactical intelligence.
Sañjaya reports Bhīma’s battlefield exploits: he slays seven hundred enemy warriors and then a further two thousand, describing him with epithets that stress both his destructive power and his keen awareness of the battle’s stratagems.