Shloka 74
भीष्मशिबिरगमनम् — Duryodhana’s Visit to Bhīṣma’s Camp and the Command Appeal
ततो बहुविधेनगिश्छादयामास राक्षसम्
sa jaya uv01ca |
tato bahuvidhair nāgaiś chādayāmāsa rākṣasam |
tadānantara sa bahubhir nāgair āvṛto rākṣasarājo vicārya garuḍarūpa dhṛtvā samastān nāgān bhakṣayitum ārabdhavān |
Sañjaya berkata: Lalu ia menutupi sang rākṣasa dengan berbagai jenis ular. Setelah itu, ketika raja para rākṣasa terkepung oleh nāga yang tak terbilang, ia merenung sekejap, mengambil wujud Garuḍa, dan mulai melahap semua pannage itu.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights a battlefield ethic of adaptability: when overwhelmed, a powerful being shifts form and method to neutralize the threat. It also reflects the Mah01bh01rata s recurring motif that unchecked force invites an equal or greater counter-force, often escalating violence rather than resolving it through restraint.
A r01k 63asa is smothered/covered by many nāgas. In response, the r01k 63asar01ja thinks quickly, assumes Garu 0da s form (the natural enemy of serpents), and begins devouring the nāgas.