Shloka 21
Rātri-yuddhe Droṇasya prahāraḥ — Bhīmasenasya dhārtarāṣṭra-śūrānām nigrahaḥ
Night Battle: Droṇa’s Assault and Bhīma’s Suppression of Dhārtarāṣṭra Warriors
तमप्यतिरथं भीमश्रिक्षेप भूशरोषित: । एवमष्टो रथा: क्षिप्ता भीमसेनेन लीलया,उस समय गुरु द्रोणका उत्साह भंग हो गया था। उन्हें उस अवस्थामें आते देख भीमने पुनः वेगपूर्वक आगे बढ़कर उनके रथकी धुरी पकड़ ली और अत्यन्त रोषमें भरकर उन अतिरथी वीर द्रोणको भी पुनः रथके साथ ही फेंक दिया। इस प्रकार भीमसेनने खेल-सा करते हुए आठ रथ फेंके
tam apy atirathaṁ bhīmaḥ śikṣepa bhūśaroṣitaḥ | evam aṣṭau rathāḥ kṣiptā bhīmasenena līlayā ||
Sañjaya said: Enraged to the very depths, Bhīma hurled even that great chariot-warrior. Thus, as though it were mere sport, Bhīmasena flung away eight chariots. The episode underscores the terrifying momentum of wrath in battle—where prowess can appear effortless, yet the moral weight of violence remains grave within the dharmic horizon of the war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming strength, when driven by intense anger, can make extreme violence seem effortless; within the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such power in war is awe-inspiring yet morally weighty, reminding readers that martial success does not erase the gravity of harm.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma, burning with rage, hurls an elite chariot-warrior and, in the same manner, throws away eight chariots—portraying Bhīma’s battlefield dominance and the escalating ferocity of the combat.