Shloka 19
धनंजयशरैर्भग्नं द्रवमाणं ततस्ततः । भीमोथ प्येवं दुराधर्षो विद्राववति मे बलम्,“धनंजयके बाणोंसे आहत हो व्यूह भंग करके इधर-उधर भागनेवाली मेरी सेनाको ये दुर्धर्ष वीर भीमसेन भी पीछेसे खदेड़ रहे हैं
sañjaya uvāca |
dhanañjayaśarair bhagnaṃ dravamāṇaṃ tatas tataḥ |
bhīmo 'tha pyevaṃ durādharṣo vidrāvayati me balam ||
Sañjaya said: “Shattered by Dhanañjaya’s arrows, my army—its formation broken—runs in disorder here and there. And now even Bhīma, that hard-to-withstand warrior, is driving my troops into flight.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethical reality within kṣatriya-dharma: when leadership and formation collapse under superior skill, an army’s morale breaks and flight follows. It underscores how disciplined prowess (Arjuna’s archery, Bhīma’s pressure) can decide outcomes, and how fear and disorder spread when dhairya (steadfastness) is lost.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava forces are being shattered by Arjuna’s arrows; their battle-array is broken and they scatter in all directions. As they flee, Bhīma—formidable and relentless—pursues and routs them further, worsening the Kaurava disarray.