Shloka 35
Somadatta’s Kṣātra-Dharma Accusation; Night Combat, Māyā, and the Fall of Ghaṭotkaca
Droṇa-parva, Adhyāya 131
तस्य त॑ निनदं श्रुत्वा प्रह्ष्टो $ भूद् युधिष्ठिर: । कर्ण पराजितं मत्वा भीमसेनेन संयुगे,भीमसेनका वह महान् सिंहनाद सुनकर उनके द्वारा युद्धमें कर्णको पराजित हुआ जान राजा युधिष्ठिर बड़े प्रसन्न हुए
tasya tu ninadaṃ śrutvā prahṛṣṭo 'bhūd yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | karṇaṃ parājitaṃ matvā bhīmasenena saṃyuge ||
Sañjaya said: Hearing that mighty roar, Yudhiṣṭhira was filled with joy, believing that in the clash of battle Bhīmasena had overcome Karṇa. In the moral atmosphere of the war, the king’s gladness reflects the desperate hope that a feared adversary has been checked and that the cause of his brothers may yet be protected.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how perception and morale shape conduct in war: a single battle-cry can transform a leader’s emotional state and strategic hope. Ethically, it also shows the tension between dharmic restraint and the human relief felt when a dangerous opponent seems subdued.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira hears a powerful roar (associated with Bhīma) and, interpreting it as a sign of success, concludes that Bhīma has defeated Karṇa in their combat; this makes Yudhiṣṭhira very happy.