Shloka 41
Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements
पृष्ठ भीमस्य रक्षन्त: शरवर्षेण वारणान् । अभ्यवर्षन्त धावन्तो मेघा इव गिरीन् यथा,तत्पश्चात् द्रौपदीके पाँचों पुत्र, महारथी अभिमन्यु, नकुल-सहदेव तथा द्रुपदपुत्र धष्टद्युम्न--ये सब लोग भीमसेनके पृष्ठभागकी रक्षा करते हुए हाथियोंपर उसी प्रकार दौड़ दौड़कर बाण-वर्षा करने लगे, जैसे बादल पर्वतोंपर पानीकी बूँदें बरसाते हैं
sañjaya uvāca | pṛṣṭhaṃ bhīmasya rakṣantaḥ śaravarṣeṇa vāraṇān | abhyavarṣanta dhāvanto meghā iva girīn yathā |
Sañjaya said: Guarding Bhīmasena’s rear, they ran forward and showered the elephants with a rain of arrows—just as clouds, moving swiftly, pour down rain upon mountains. The scene underscores disciplined comradeship in war: protecting one’s ally while striking the enemy with coordinated force.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid violence, dharma in battle emphasizes disciplined cooperation: protecting a comrade’s vulnerable side (the rear) while engaging the enemy with coordinated, measured force.
Bhīma advances while allies—Draupadī’s five sons, Abhimanyu, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna—form a protective rear-guard and, charging forward, unleash volleys of arrows upon the enemy’s war-elephants, compared to clouds raining on mountains.