Shloka 2
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
भीम॑ द्वादशभिवविंद्ध्वा सात्यकिं नवभि: शरै: | नकुलं च त्रिभिर्विंद्ूध्वा सहदेवं च सप्तभि:
bhīmaṃ dvādaśabhir avindhya sātyakiṃ navabhiḥ śaraiḥ | nakulaṃ ca tribhir viddhvā sahadevaṃ ca saptabhiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Having pierced Bhīma with twelve arrows and Sātyaki with nine, he then struck Nakula with three and Sahadeva with seven. The report underscores the relentless arithmetic of battle—valor measured in endurance and restraint, even as kin and allies are wounded amid the demands of kṣatriya duty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh discipline of kṣatriya warfare: even revered heroes must endure injury while maintaining duty and composure. It implicitly contrasts personal bonds with the impersonal demands of battle, where ethical restraint and steadfastness become tests of character.
Sañjaya reports a sequence of successful arrow-strikes in the battle: Bhīma is pierced with twelve arrows, Sātyaki with nine, then Nakula with three and Sahadeva with seven—marking a moment of tactical pressure on the Pāṇḍava side.