Shloka 34
पुत्रेषु तव वीरेषु चिक्रीडार्जुनपूर्वज: । मृगेष्विव महाराज चरन् व्यात्रो महाबल:ः,राजन! जैसे महाबली व्याप्र मृगोंके झुंडमें विचरता हो, उसी प्रकार भीमसेन आपके वीर पुत्रोंके समुदायमें खेल रहे थे
putreṣu tava vīreṣu cikrīḍārjuna-pūrvajaḥ | mṛgeṣv iva mahārāja caran vyāghro mahābalaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O great king, mighty Bhīmasena—elder brother of Arjuna—moved among your valiant sons as a powerful tiger ranges amid a herd of deer, sporting with them in battle. The image underscores the stark imbalance of strength and the grim moral weight of war, where pride and aggression meet their consequence on the field.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a predator–prey simile to highlight how overwhelming strength can make combat seem effortless, while also reminding the listener (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) that unjust aggression and pride invite devastating consequences in war.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma, Arjuna’s elder brother, is moving through the ranks of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons on the battlefield, striking them down with such dominance that it resembles a tiger roaming among deer.