Shloka 83
भीमसेनस्य बहुमहारथसंयुगः
Bhīmasena’s Engagement with Multiple Mahārathas
त्रातारं नाध्यगच्छन्त गाव: पड़कगता इव | पिपीलिका इव क्षुण्णा दुर्बला बलिना रणे,भारत! भागती हुई पाण्डव-सेनाएँ कीचड़में फँसी हुई गायोंकी भाँति किसीको अपना रक्षक नहीं पाती थीं। समरभूमिमें बलवान् भीष्मने उन दुर्बल सैनिकोंको चींटियोंकी भाँति मसल डाला
trātāraṃ nādhyagacchanta gāvaḥ paṅkagatā iva | pipīlikā iva kṣuṇṇā durbalā balinā raṇe, bhārata |
Sañjaya said: “The Pandava troops, fleeing in disorder, could find no protector—like cattle stuck fast in mire. On the battlefield, the mighty Bhishma crushed those weakened soldiers as though they were ants, O Bharata.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of leadership and protection in war: when a force loses guidance and refuge, it becomes helpless, and the strong can annihilate the weak with ease—underscoring both the brutality of battle and the responsibility borne by commanders.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍava troops are in flight and cannot find any defender; Bhīṣma, dominating the field, cuts them down relentlessly, compared to cattle trapped in mud and ants being crushed.