Shloka 78
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
गभस्तिभिरिवादित्यस्तेजांसि शिशिरात्यये । राजन्! आपके ताऊ देवव्रत उसी प्रकार पाण्डव योद्धाओंके प्राण लेने लगे, जैसे ग्रीष्म-ऋतुमें सूर्य अपनी किरणोंद्वारा सबके तेज हर लेते हैं || ७७ ह ।। यथा कुरूणां सैन्यानि बभज्जुर्युधि पाण्डवा:
gabhastibhir ivādityas tejāṃsi śiśirātyaye | rājan! āpake tāū devavrata usī prakāra pāṇḍava-yoddhāoṃ ke prāṇa lene lage, jaise grīṣma-ṛtauṃ meṃ sūrya apanī kiraṇoṃ dvārā sabake teja har lete haiṃ || 77 ha || yathā kurūṇāṃ sainyāni babhajjur yudhi pāṇḍavāḥ |
Sañjaya said: “O King, your uncle Devavrata (Bhīṣma) began to take the lives of the Pāṇḍava warriors, just as, at the end of winter, the sun in summer draws away the vigor of all beings with its rays. And in that same manner, in the battle, the Pāṇḍavas shattered the armies of the Kurus.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames battlefield destruction through a natural simile: as seasonal heat inevitably drains vitality, so martial force—once unleashed—consumes life. It highlights the inexorable movement of time and consequence, urging reflection on the ethical weight of war even when performed under kṣatriya-duty.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīṣma (Devavrata), fighting for the Kauravas, is killing Pāṇḍava fighters with overwhelming power; simultaneously, the Pāṇḍavas are also breaking Kuru formations in the battle, indicating fierce mutual devastation.