Shloka 276
कर्णभीमयुद्धम्
Karna–Bhīma Combat Report
चिच्छेद समरे वीरस्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत् । तदनन्तर वीर युधिष्ठिरने समरांगणमें द्रोणाचार्यके चलाये हुए सहस्रों बाणोंके टुकड़े- टुकड़े कर डाले। वह अद्भुत-सी बात हुई
sañjaya uvāca |
chiccheda samare vīras tad adbhutam ivābhavat |
tad-anantaraṁ vīra yudhiṣṭhireṇa samara-aṅgaṇe droṇācārya-calitānāṁ sahasrāṇāṁ bāṇānāṁ ṭukḍe-ṭukḍe kṛtvā chedanam akriyata; tad adbhuta-sadṛśaṁ babhūva |
Sanjaya said: In the thick of battle, the hero cut them down; it seemed almost wondrous. Immediately thereafter, brave Yudhishthira, on the battlefield, shattered into fragments the thousands of arrows released by Acharya Drona—an act that appeared extraordinary. The scene underscores how, even amid the violence of war, mastery and restraint can manifest as disciplined prowess rather than mere rage.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined prowess in warfare: true strength is shown not merely by attacking, but by controlled mastery—neutralizing harm efficiently. In the Mahabharata’s ethical frame, such skill serves kshatriya-dharma when exercised with restraint and purpose rather than cruelty.
Sanjaya describes a battlefield moment where Yudhishthira counters Drona’s massive volley—thousands of arrows—by cutting them into pieces mid-combat, an act regarded as astonishing.