Shloka 31
गदापार्णिं ततो भीम॑ दृष्टवा भारत तावका: । मेनिरे समनुप्राप्तं कालदण्डोद्यतं यमम्
gadāpārṇiṁ tato bhīmaṁ dṛṣṭvā bhārata tāvakāḥ | menire samanupprāptaṁ kāladaṇḍodyataṁ yamam ||
Kemudian, wahai Bhārata, ketika para prajuritmu melihat Bhīma dengan gada di tangan, mereka mengira Yama sendiri telah datang—mengangkat tongkat maut.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral and psychological dimension of war: when destructive force is unleashed, it appears as inevitable death itself. Bhīma is portrayed not merely as a strong warrior but as an agent of unavoidable consequence—suggesting that adharma on the battlefield invites retribution that feels as certain as Yama’s rod.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava troops, seeing Bhīma advancing with his mace, are overwhelmed with dread and imagine him as Yama, the Lord of Death, arriving with the raised rod of punishment—an image conveying their panic and Bhīma’s terrifying momentum in the fight.