Shloka 20
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्
The Tumult of Battle Described
आविद्धयतो गदां तस्य कौन्तेयस्य महात्मन: । बभौ रूपं महाघोरं कालस्येव युगक्षये,अपनी गदाको घुमाते हुए महामना कुन्तीकुमार भीमसेनका रूप युगान्त-कालके यमराजके समान अत्यन्त भयंकर प्रतीत होता था
āviddhyato gadāṃ tasya kaunteyasya mahātmanaḥ | babhau rūpaṃ mahāghoraṃ kālasy eva yugakṣaye ||
Sañjaya said: As that great-souled son of Kuntī whirled his mace, his form appeared exceedingly dreadful—like Time itself at the end of an age—striking terror into the battlefield and foreshadowing inevitable destruction for those who opposed him.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the image of Kāla (Time/Death) at the end of a yuga to show how, in righteous war, overwhelming force can appear as an impersonal inevitability—reminding readers that power and destruction are ultimately governed by cosmic order, not mere personal hatred.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma (the son of Kuntī) whirling his mace on the battlefield; his terrifying appearance is compared to Time at the world’s end, emphasizing the fear he inspires and the doom awaiting his opponents.