Shloka 5
अभिमन्यु–अलम्बुसयुद्धम् / The Duel of Abhimanyu and Alambusa
with Arjuna’s approach to Bhīṣma
तेनोरसि महाराज भीमसेनमताडयत् । स गाढविद्धो व्यथित: सृक्किणी परिसंलिहन्
tenorasi mahārāja bhīmasenamatāḍayat | sa gāḍhaviddho vyathitaḥ sṛkkīṇī parisaṃlihan
Sañjaya said: With that blow, O King, he struck Bhīmasena upon the chest. Deeply pierced and shaken by pain, Bhīma licked the corners of his mouth—an image of restrained fury and endurance amid the brutal ethics of battlefield duty, where warriors absorb injury without abandoning their role.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya endurance: even when grievously wounded, a warrior maintains composure and readiness. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s tension between the harsh necessities of war and the disciplined restraint expected of those bound by duty.
In Sañjaya’s report to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Bhīma is struck hard on the chest by an opponent. He is deeply hurt and in pain, yet he controls himself—signaled by licking the corners of his mouth—suggesting contained anger and continued resolve in combat.