Shloka 40
सतं दृष्टवा विनिहतं भीमसेनात्मजेन वै । प्रतिज्ञां भीमसेनस्य पूर्णामेवाभ्यमन्यत,परंतु भीमसेनपुत्र घटोत्कचके द्वारा अलायुधको मारा गया देख उसने यह निश्चित रूपसे मान लिया कि अब भीमसेनकी प्रतिज्ञा पूरी होकर ही रहेगी
śataṁ dṛṣṭvā vinihataṁ bhīmasenātmajena vai | pratijñāṁ bhīmasenasya pūrṇām evābhyamanyata ||
Namun ketika ia melihat musuh itu (Alāyudha) benar-benar tewas oleh putra Bhīmasena, ia pun yakin bahwa sumpah Bhīmasena kini akan terpenuhi sepenuhnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of a pratijñā (solemn vow): in the Mahābhārata’s moral universe, a pledge—especially in a kṣatriya context—creates binding responsibility, and battlefield events are interpreted through the lens of whether such commitments are being honored and brought to completion.
Sañjaya reports that an opponent named Śata has been slain by Bhīma’s son (understood as Ghaṭotkaca). From this, he infers that Bhīma’s vow is effectively on track to be fully fulfilled, since the removal of this foe marks a decisive advance toward the vowed objective.