Shloka 57
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya-saṃvādaḥ; madhyāhna-saṅgrāma-pravṛttiḥ
Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue and the midday battle escalation
ततः प्रहस्य समरे भीमसेन: परंतप: । प्रेषयामास संक़ुद्ध: सायकान् कृतवर्मणे,तब शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले भीमसेनने युद्धमें हँसकर अत्यन्त क्रोधपूर्वक कृतवर्मापर अनेकों सायकों-का प्रहार किया
tataḥ prahasya samare bhīmasenaḥ parantapaḥ | preṣayāmāsa saṅkruddhaḥ sāyakān kṛtavarmaṇe ||
Sañjaya said: Then, in the midst of battle, Bhīmasena—the scorcher of foes—laughed aloud and, inflamed with fierce anger, launched a shower of arrows at Kṛtavarman. The scene underscores how, in the dharma-yuddha setting, personal wrath and martial prowess surge together, intensifying the violence even as each warrior acts within the accepted code of open combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension within righteous warfare: even when combat follows accepted martial norms, inner states like anger can dominate action. It invites reflection on self-mastery (control of krodha) amid duty-bound conflict.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma laughing in the thick of battle and, in a surge of anger, shooting many arrows at Kṛtavarman, escalating their direct confrontation.