Shloka 33
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
निहत्य तान् शरान् राजा राक्षसस्य धनुश्नुतान् | भैमसेनिं रणे तूर्ण सर्वमर्मस्वताडयत्
nihatyatān śarān rājā rākṣasasya dhanuścyutān | bhaimaseniṁ raṇe tūrṇaṁ sarvamarmasvatāḍayat ||
Setelah menangkis dan mematahkan anak-anak panah yang dilepaskan dari busur sang Rākṣasa, Raja Bhagadatta segera menyerang putra Bhīmasena di medan laga, menghantam dengan tepat ke segala titik vitalnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim ethic of battlefield conduct: mastery and speed are used to neutralize an enemy by targeting vulnerable points. It reflects how, in the epic’s war setting, prowess often overrides compassion, revealing the moral cost of conflict.
Bhagadatta counters by destroying the arrows shot from Ghaṭotkaca’s bow, then quickly strikes Ghaṭotkaca (called ‘Bhīmasena’s son’) in battle, aiming at his vital spots.