Adhyaya 138

Verse 1

ऑपन-माजल बछ। जि षट्त्रिशर्दाधकशततमो< ध्याय: भीमसेन और कर्णका युद्ध, कर्णका पलायन, धृतराष्ट्रके सात पुत्रोंका वध तथा भीमका पराक्रम संजय उवाच तवात्मजांस्तु पतितान्‌ दृष्टवा कर्ण: प्रतापवान्‌ । क्रोधेन महता5<विष्टो निर्विण्णो5भूत्‌ स जीवितात्‌,संजय कहते हैं--राजन्‌! आपके पुत्रोंको रणभूमिमें गिरा हुआ देख प्रतापी कर्ण अत्यन्त कुपित हो अपने जीवनसे विरक्त हो उठा

Sanjaya said: O King, seeing your sons fallen on the battlefield, the mighty Karna—seized by overwhelming wrath—became disgusted with life itself. The sight of their collapse turns his warrior pride into a fierce, despairing anger, foreshadowing reckless resolve amid the moral ruin of fratricidal war.

Verse 2

आगस्कृतमिवात्मानं मेने चाधिरथिस्तदा । यत्प्रत्यक्ष॑ं तव सुता भीमेन निहता रणे,उस समय अधिरथपुत्र कर्ण अपने-आपको अपराधी-सा मानने लगा; क्‍योंकि भीमसेनने उसकी आँखोंके सामने रणभूमिमें आपके पुत्रोंको मार डाला था

Sanjaya said: Then Adhirathi (Karna) regarded himself as though guilty, for right before his eyes your sons had been slain in battle by Bhimasena. The moment frames Karna27s inward moral unease: despite his prowess and loyalty to Duryodhana, he feels implicated when the Kaurava princes fall under his watch, exposing the ethical weight of alliance and responsibility amid war.

Verse 3

भीमसेनस्तत: क्रुद्ध: कर्णस्य निशितान्‌ शरान्‌ | निचखान स सम्भ्रान्त: पूर्ववैरमनुस्मरन्‌,तदनन्तर पहलेके वैरका बारंबार स्मरण करके कुपित हुए भीमसेनने कर्णके शरीरमें बड़े वेगसे अपने पैने बाण धँँसा दिये

Sañjaya said: Then Bhīmasena, inflamed with anger and repeatedly recalling the enmity of former days, drove his sharp arrows with great force into Karṇa’s body, striking in agitation amid the press of battle. The verse highlights how memory of past hostility can intensify wrath and propel violent action in war.

Verse 4

स भीम॑ पज्चभिर्विद्ध्वा राधेय: प्रहसन्निव । पुनर्विव्याध सप्तत्या स्वर्णपुड्खै: शिलाशितै:,तब राधानन्दन कर्णने हँसते हुए-से पाँच बाण मारकर भीमसेनको घायल कर दिया। फिर शानपर चढ़ाकर तेज किये हुए सुवर्णमय पंखवाले सत्तर बाणोंद्वारा उन्हें गहरी चोट पहुँचायी

Sañjaya said: Karṇa, son of Rādhā, as though laughing, first pierced Bhīma with five arrows. Then he struck him again with seventy arrows—gold-feathered and honed upon stone—inflicting deep wounds. The passage underscores the grim ethic of the battlefield: prowess and relentless force are displayed without tenderness, even against a famed warrior, as the war’s momentum drives combatants toward ever-escalating violence.

Verse 5

अविचिन्त्याथ तान्‌ बाणान्‌ कर्णेनास्तान्‌वृकोदर: । रणे विव्याध राधेयं शतेनानतपर्वणाम्‌,कर्णके चलाये हुए उन बाणोंकी कुछ भी परवा न करके भीमसेनने रणभूमिमें झुकी हुई गाँठवाले सौ बाणोंद्वारा राधापुत्रको घायल कर दिया

Sañjaya said: Disregarding the arrows shot by Karṇa, Vṛkodara (Bhīma) in the thick of battle pierced Rādheya (Karṇa) with a hundred arrows whose joints were bent—an act that shows Bhīma’s fierce resolve and refusal to be deterred amid the brutal ethics of war.

Verse 6

पुनश्न विशिखैस्ती&णैर्विंद्ध्वा मर्मसु पठचभि: । धनुश्चिच्छेद भल्लेन सूतपुत्रस्य मारिष,माननीय नरेश! फिर पाँच तीखे बाणोंद्वारा सूतपुत्रके मर्मस्थानोंमें चोट पहुँचाकर भीमसेनने एक भल्लद्वारा उसका धनुष काट दिया

Sañjaya said: Then again, having pierced the Sūta’s son with five sharp, swift arrows at his vital points, Bhīmasena cut down his bow with a broad-headed shaft. O venerable king, this was the fierce turn of the combat—skill used not for display, but to disable the opponent’s capacity to fight.

Verse 7

अथान्यद्‌ धनुरादाय कर्णो भारत दुर्मना: । इषुभिश्छादयामास भीमसेन॑ परंतप:,भारत! तब शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले कर्णने खिन्न होकर दूसरा धनुष हाथमें ले भीमसेनको अपने बाणोंद्वारा आच्छादित कर दिया

Sañjaya said: Then Karṇa, O Bhārata, distressed in mind, took up another bow and, the scorcher of foes, covered Bhīmasena with a dense shower of arrows. The scene underscores the relentless escalation of battle—where wounded pride and resolve drive a warrior to renew his means and press the attack without pause.

Verse 8

तस्य भीमो हयान्‌ हत्वा विनिहत्य च सारथिम्‌ । प्रजहास महाहासं कृते प्रतिकृते पुन:,भीमसेनने उसके घोड़ों और सारथिको मारकर उसके प्रहारका बदला चुका लेनेके पश्चात्‌ पुनः बड़े जोरसे अट्टहास किया

Sañjaya said: Bhīma, having slain his horses and also killed his charioteer, laughed aloud with a mighty roar once again—having repaid blow for blow. The verse underscores the grim reciprocity of battlefield ethics, where retaliation is framed as a settled counter-deed even as it intensifies the cycle of violence.

Verse 9

इषुश्नि: कार्मुकं चास्य चकर्त पुरुषर्षभ: । तत्‌ पपात महाराज स्वार्णपृष्ठं महास्वनम्‌,महाराज! पुरुषशिरोमणि भीमने अपने बाणोंद्वारा कर्णका धनुष भी फिर काट दिया। स्वर्णमय पृष्ठभागसे युक्त और गम्भीर टंकार करनेवाला उसका वह धनुष पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़ा

Sañjaya said: The bull among men (Bhīma), with his arrows, cut down Karṇa’s bow as well. O King, that bow—gold-backed and resonant with a deep twang—fell to the earth. The moment underscores how, in the brutal ethics of battlefield duty, even a famed warrior’s power is reduced when his weapon is shattered, and momentum shifts through skill and force rather than words.

Verse 10

अवारोहदू रथात्‌ तस्मादथ कर्णो महारथ: । गदां गृहीत्वा समरे भीमाय प्राहिणोद्‌ रुषा,महारथी कर्ण उस रथसे उतर गया और गदा लेकर उसने समरभूमिमें भीमसेनपर रोषपूर्वक चला दी

Sañjaya said: Then Karṇa, that great chariot-warrior, descended from his chariot. Seizing a mace on the battlefield, he hurled it in wrath at Bhīmasena—an act that intensifies the ferocity of the duel and shows how anger can drive a warrior from measured combat into impulsive violence.

Verse 11

तामापतन्तीमालक्ष्य भीमसेनो महागदाम्‌ । शरैरवारयद्‌ राजन्‌ सर्वसैन्यस्य पश्यत:,राजन्‌! उस विशाल गदाको अपने ऊपर आती देख भीमसेनने सब सेनाओंके देखते- देखते बाणोंद्वारा उसका निवारण कर दिया

Sañjaya said: Seeing that massive mace hurtling toward him, Bhīmasena checked it with a volley of arrows, O King, in full view of the entire army. The moment underscores the warrior’s duty to meet force with disciplined skill, restraining a deadly blow without losing composure amid the public gaze of war.

Verse 12

ततो बाणसहस्राणि प्रेषयामास पाण्डव: । सूतपुत्रवधाकाड्क्षी त्वरमाण: पराक्रमी

Sañjaya said: Then the Pāṇḍava hero, eager to bring about the death of the charioteer’s son (Karna), swiftly and with great valor loosed thousands of arrows. The verse highlights how personal resolve and the pressure of war drive decisive action, even as the ethical weight of seeking another’s death remains implicit in the battlefield setting.

Verse 13

तब सूतपुत्रके वधकी इच्छावाले पराक्रमी पाण्डुपुत्र भीमसेनने बड़ी उतावलीके साथ एक हजार बाण चलाये ।। तानिषूनिषुभि: कर्णो वारयित्वा महामृथे । कवचं भीमसेनस्य पाटयामास सायकै:,परंतु कर्णने उस महासमरमें अपने बाणोंद्वारा उन सभी बाणोंका निवारण करके भीमसेनके कवचको बाणोंसे छिन्न-भिन्न कर दिया

Sañjaya said: Then Bhīmasena, the valiant son of Pāṇḍu, burning with the desire to slay Karṇa, loosed a thousand arrows in great haste. In that mighty clash, Karṇa checked those shafts with his own, and with his missiles tore Bhīma’s armor to pieces—showing how, in war, fierce intent meets counter-skill, and prowess rather than mere fury decides the moment.

Verse 14

अथैनं पजञ्चविंशत्या नाराचानां समार्पयत्‌ । पश्यतां सर्वसैन्यानां तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्‌,तदनन्तर उसने सब सेनाओंके देखते-देखते भीमसेनपर पचीस नाराचोंका प्रहार किया। वह अद्भुत-सी बात हुई

Sañjaya said: Then, before the eyes of all the armies, he struck Bhīmasena with twenty-five nārāca arrows. To everyone watching, it seemed like something wondrous—an astonishing feat amid the grim momentum of battle.

Verse 15

ततो भीमो महाबाहुर्नवभिर्नतपर्वभि: । प्रेषयामास संक्रुद्ध: सूतपुत्रस्य मारिष,माननीय नरेश! तब अत्यन्त क्रोधमें भरे हुए महाबाहु भीमसेनने सूतपुत्रको झुकी हुई गाँठवाले नौ बाण मारे

Sañjaya said: Then Bhīma, the mighty-armed, inflamed with fierce anger, shot nine arrows with bent joints at the Sūta’s son (Karna), O venerable one. The scene underscores the relentless escalation of battle, where wrath drives warriors to ever more forceful acts, tightening the moral pressure of war upon all combatants.

Verse 16

ते तस्य कवचं भिन्त्वा तथा बाहुं च दक्षिणम्‌ अभ्ययुर्धरणीं तीक्ष्णा वल्मीकमिव पन्नगा:,वे तीखे बाण कर्णके कवच तथा दाहिनी भुजाको विदीर्ण करके बाँबीमें घुसनेवाले सर्पोंके समान धरतीमें समा गये

Sañjaya said: Having pierced his armour and also his right arm, those sharp arrows plunged into the earth—like serpents slipping into an anthill. The image underscores the relentless, impersonal force of battle: weapons do their work, bodies are broken, and the field absorbs the violence without pause.

Verse 17

स च्छाद्यमानो बाणौघैर्भीमसेन धनुश्च्युतैः । पुनरेवाभवत्‌ कर्णो भीमसेनात्‌ पराड्मुख:,भीमसेनके धनुषसे छूटे हुए बाणसमूहोंसे आच्छादित होकर कर्ण पुनः भीमसेनसे विमुख हो गया (उन्हें पीठ दिखाकर भाग चला)

Sañjaya said: Overwhelmed and covered by volleys of arrows released from Bhīmasena’s bow, Karṇa once again turned away from Bhīmasena—showing his back and withdrawing from the fight. In the moral atmosphere of the war, the verse underscores how even famed warriors can be forced into retreat when met by superior force and relentless resolve, and how battlefield conduct is shaped by immediate necessity rather than pride alone.

Verse 18

त॑ पराड्मुखमालोक्य पदातिं सूतनन्दनम्‌ | कौन्तेयशरसंछन्न॑ राजा दुर्योधनो<ब्रवीत्‌,सूतपुत्र कर्णको युद्धसे विमुख, पैदल तथा भीमसेनके बाणोंसे आच्छादित देखकर राजा दुर्योधन अपने सैनिकोंसे बोला--

Sañjaya said: Seeing Karṇa, the charioteer’s son, turned away and fighting on foot, his body covered by the arrows of the son of Kuntī, King Duryodhana addressed him. In the moral tension of the war, the king’s words imply both urgency and reproach—calling a famed warrior back toward steadfastness and duty amid the chaos of retreat and injury.

Verse 19

त्वरध्वं सर्वतो यत्ता राधेयस्य रथं प्रति । ततस्तव सुता राजन श्र॒त्वा क्षातुर्वचो द्रुतम्‌

Sañjaya said: “Hurry—press forward from every side toward the chariot of Rādheya (Karna). Then, O king, your sons, having swiftly heard the charioteer’s urgent words, moved to act at once.”

Verse 20

चित्रोपचित्रश्षित्राक्ष क्षारुचित्र: शरासन:

Sañjaya said: “He was adorned in variegated and splendid fashion; his eyes were striking; and his bow—his very weapon of war—was itself remarkable and richly distinguished.” In the ethical frame of the epic, the verse underscores how martial prowess and outward brilliance are noticed and narrated, even as the war’s deeper moral cost continues to unfold.

Verse 21

तानापतत एवाशु भीमसेनो महारथ:,महारथी भीमसेनने उनके आते ही शीघ्रतापूर्वक एक-एक बाण मारकर आपके सभी पुत्रोंको युद्धमें धराशायी कर दिया। वे मारे जाकर आँधीके उखाड़े हुए वृक्षोंके समान पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े

Sañjaya said: As they rushed in, Bhīmasena—the great chariot-warrior—swiftly struck down all your sons in battle, felling each with a single arrow. Slain, they collapsed upon the earth like trees torn up by a violent storm—an image of war’s ruthless finality and the tragic cost of kṣatriya conflict.

Verse 22

एकैकेन शरेणाजौ पातयामास ते सुतान्‌ । ते हता न्‍्यपतन्‌ भूमौ वातरुग्णा इव द्रुमा:,महारथी भीमसेनने उनके आते ही शीघ्रतापूर्वक एक-एक बाण मारकर आपके सभी पुत्रोंको युद्धमें धराशायी कर दिया। वे मारे जाकर आँधीके उखाड़े हुए वृक्षोंके समान पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े

Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Bhīmasena swiftly struck down your sons, felling each one with a single arrow. Slain, they collapsed upon the earth like trees torn up by a violent wind—an image that underscores the ruthless momentum of war and the tragic fragility of life when dharma has already been eclipsed by vengeance and slaughter.

Verse 23

दृष्टवा विनिहतान्‌ पुत्रांस्तव राजनमहारथान्‌ । अश्रुपूर्णमुख: कर्ण क्षत्तु: सस्मार तद्‌ वच:,राजन्‌! आपके महारथी पुत्रोंको इस प्रकार मारा गया देख कर्णके मुखपर आँसुओंकी धारा बह चली। उस समय उसे विदुरजीकी कही हुई बात याद आयी

Sañjaya said: O King, seeing your sons—those great chariot-warriors—slain in this manner, Karṇa’s face filled with tears. At that moment he recalled the words earlier spoken by Vidura, the royal counsellor, as if the moral warning he had once ignored had now returned with the force of fate amid the ruin of war.

Verse 24

रथं चान्यं समास्थाय विधिवत्‌ कल्पितं पुनः । अभ्ययात्‌ पाण्डवं युद्धे त्वरमाण: पराक्रमी,फिर उस पराक्रमी वीरने विधिपूर्वक सजाये हुए दूसरे रथपर बैठकर युद्धमें शीघ्रतापूर्वक पाण्डुपुत्र भीमसेनपर धावा किया

Sañjaya said: Mounting another chariot, newly and properly prepared according to rule, that valiant warrior hastened into battle and charged toward the Pāṇḍava—Bhīmasena—driven by urgency and martial resolve. The scene underscores how, in the relentless ethics of war, readiness and disciplined preparation become instruments through which fierce intent is immediately converted into action.

Verse 25

तावन्योन्यं शरैर्भित्त्वा स्वर्णपुड्खै: शिलाशितै: । व्यभ्राजेतां यथा मेघौ संस्यूतौ सूर्यरश्मिभि:,वे दोनों एक-दूसरेको शिलापर तेज किये हुए सुवर्णपंखयुक्त बाणोंद्वारा क्षत-विक्षत करके सूर्यकी किरणोंमें पिरोये हुए बादलोंके समान सुशोभित होने लगे

Sañjaya said: Having pierced and torn one another with arrows whose golden fletchings gleamed and whose points were whetted on stone, the two warriors shone forth—like clouds threaded through with the sun’s rays. The verse frames the duel’s splendor as an aesthetic of war, where brilliance and injury coexist, underscoring the Mahābhārata’s tension between martial excellence and the grim cost of violence.

Verse 26

षट्त्रिंशद्धिस्ततो भल्लैरनिशितैस्तिग्मतेजनै: । व्यधमत्‌ कवचं क्रुद्धः सूतपुत्रस्य पाण्डव:,तत्पश्चात्‌ क्रोधमें भरे हुए भीमसेनने प्रचण्ड तेजवाले छत्तीस तीखे भल्लोंका प्रहार करके सूतपुत्रके कवचकी धज्जियाँ उड़ा दीं

Sañjaya said: Then the Pāṇḍava, inflamed with wrath, struck the charioteer’s son with thirty-six razor-sharp bhalla arrows, blazing with keen force, and tore his armour to shreds. In the moral atmosphere of the war, the verse underscores how anger intensifies violence and how martial skill is turned toward disabling an opponent’s protection rather than mere display—an escalation typical of this grim phase of the battle.

Verse 27

सूतपुत्रो5पि कौन्तेयं शरै: संनतपर्वभि: । पज्चाशता महाबाहुर्विव्याध भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ। फिर महाबाहु सूतपुत्रने भी कुन्तीकुमार भीमसेनको झुकी हुई गाँठवाले पचास बाणोंसे बींध डाला

Sanjaya said: Then the charioteers son (Karna) too, O best of the Bharatas, struck Bhimathe son of Kunti, the mightyarmedwith fifty arrows whose joints were bent down. Thus, in the relentless code of battle, Karna answered force with force, intensifying the duel without yielding ground.

Verse 28

रक्तचन्दनदिग्धाड़ौ शरै: कृतमहाव्रणौ । शोणिताक्तौ व्यराजेतां चन्द्रसूर्याविवोदितो,उन दोनोंने अपने शरीरमें लाल चन्दन लगा रखे थे। इसके सिवा उनके शरीरमें बाणोंके आघातसे बड़े-बड़े घाव हो गये थे। इस प्रकार खूनसे लथपथ हुए वे दोनों योद्धा उदयकालीन सूर्य और चन्द्रमाके समान शोभा पा रहे थे

Sañjaya said: Smeared with red sandal paste, their bodies torn by arrows into great wounds, and drenched in blood, those two warriors shone—like the moon and the sun rising together. The verse frames a grim battlefield beauty: even amid injury and bloodshed, martial resolve and the code of combat make the fighters appear radiant, underscoring the Mahābhārata’s tension between heroic splendor and the ethical cost of war.

Verse 29

तौ शोणितोक्षितैगत्रि: शरैश्छिन्नतनुच्छदौ । कर्णभीमौ व्यराजेतां निर्मुक्ताविव पन्नगौं,बाणोंद्वारा उन दोनोंके कवच कट गये थे और सारे अंग रक्तसे भींग गये थे। उस दशामें वे कर्ण और भीमसेन केंचुल छोड़कर निकले हुए दो सर्पोके समान शोभा पाने लगे। जैसे दो व्याप्र अपनी दाढ़ोंसे एक-दूसरेपर चोट करते हैं, उसी प्रकार वे दोनों पुरुषव्याप्र योद्धा परस्पर प्रहार कर रहे थे। वे दोनों वीर दो मेघोंके समान बाणधाराकी वर्षा कर रहे थे

Sañjaya said: With their limbs drenched in blood and their body-armour cut away by arrows, Karṇa and Bhīmasena shone forth like two serpents that have just cast off their slough. Stripped of protection yet undaunted, they continued to strike one another in close combat, their splendour and ferocity heightened by the very wounds of battle—an image of warrior resolve amid the relentless ethics of kṣatriya warfare.

Verse 30

व्याप्राविव नरव्याप्रौ दृष्टाभिरितरेतरम्‌ । शरधारासूजौ वीरौ मेघाविव ववर्षतु:,बाणोंद्वारा उन दोनोंके कवच कट गये थे और सारे अंग रक्तसे भींग गये थे। उस दशामें वे कर्ण और भीमसेन केंचुल छोड़कर निकले हुए दो सर्पोके समान शोभा पाने लगे। जैसे दो व्याप्र अपनी दाढ़ोंसे एक-दूसरेपर चोट करते हैं, उसी प्रकार वे दोनों पुरुषव्याप्र योद्धा परस्पर प्रहार कर रहे थे। वे दोनों वीर दो मेघोंके समान बाणधाराकी वर्षा कर रहे थे

Sañjaya said: Like two tigers, those two tiger-like warriors, glaring at one another, struck back and forth. Both heroes, pouring forth streams of arrows, rained them down like two storm-clouds. The verse heightens the ethical tension of battle: valor is displayed through steadfastness and mutual challenge, yet the imagery also underscores how warfare turns human excellence into a force of destruction, as relentless and impersonal as rain from clouds.

Verse 31

वारणाविव चान्योन्यं विषाणाभ्यामरिंदमौ । निर्भिन्दन्तौ स्वगात्राणि सायकैश्लारु रेजतु:

Sañjaya said: Like two mighty elephants, those two foe-subduers closed upon each other, goring one another with their horns; and as they pierced each other’s own limbs with volleys of arrows, they shone—terrible and splendid—amid the clash. The verse underscores the grim reciprocity of war: valor and skill blaze forth, yet at the cost of self-wounding violence that consumes both sides.

Verse 32

जैसे दो हाथी अपने दाँतोंसे एक-दूसरेपर आघात करते हैं, उसी प्रकार वे शत्रुदमन वीर अपने बाणोंद्वारा एक-दूसरेके शरीरोंको विदीर्ण करते हुए सुशोभित हो रहे थे ।। नादयन्तौ प्रहर्षन्ती विक्रीडन्तो परस्परम्‌ । मण्डलानि विकुर्वाणौ रथाभ्यां रथसत्तमौ,रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ भीम और कर्ण सिंहनाद करते, अत्यन्त हर्षसे उत्फुल्ल हो उठते और आपसमें खेल-सा करते हुए रथोंद्वारा मण्डलगतिसे विचरते थे

Sanjaya said: Like two elephants striking one another with their tusks, those two enemy-subduing heroes shone as they tore each other’s bodies with volleys of arrows. Roaring aloud, exultant, and as if sporting with one another, the foremost of chariot-warriors—Bhima and Karna—wheeled their chariots in circling maneuvers, turning the battlefield into a contest of prowess where courage and wrath alike were on display.

Verse 33

वृषाविवाथ नर्दन्तौ बलिनौ वासितान्तरे | सिंहाविव पराक्रान्तौ नरसिंहौ महाबलौ,जैसे गायके लिये दो बलवान्‌ साँड़ गरजते हुए लड़ जाते हैं, उसी प्रकार वे सिंहके समान पराक्रमी महान्‌ बलशाली पुरुषसिंह कर्ण और भीम क्रोधसे लाल आँखें करके एक- दूसरेको देखते हुए महापराक्रमी इन्द्र और बलिके समान युद्ध कर रहे थे

Sañjaya said: “Then those two mighty warriors, roaring like powerful bulls in the midst of their bellowing, and charging like lions—those lion-like men of great strength—faced one another with wrath. Like Indra and Bali contending in battle, Karṇa and Bhīma fought on, each measuring the other with fierce, reddened eyes, their valor inflamed by anger.”

Verse 34

परस्परं वीक्षमाणौ क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनौ । युयुधाते महावीर्यों शक्रवैरोचनी यथा,जैसे गायके लिये दो बलवान्‌ साँड़ गरजते हुए लड़ जाते हैं, उसी प्रकार वे सिंहके समान पराक्रमी महान्‌ बलशाली पुरुषसिंह कर्ण और भीम क्रोधसे लाल आँखें करके एक- दूसरेको देखते हुए महापराक्रमी इन्द्र और बलिके समान युद्ध कर रहे थे

Sañjaya said: Gazing at one another, their eyes reddened with wrath, the two mighty heroes fought on—like Śakra (Indra) and Virocana’s son (Bali) contending in battle. The verse underscores how anger intensifies the ferocity of war, turning heroic prowess into a near-cosmic clash, while the narrator frames the duel through a mythic comparison to convey its moral and emotional gravity.

Verse 35

ततो भीमो महाबाहुर्बाहुभ्यां विक्षिपन्‌ धनु: । व्यराजत रणे राजन्सविद्युदिव तोयद:,राजन! उस रणक्षेत्रमें महाबाहु भीमसेन अपनी भुजाओंसे धनुषकी टंकार करते हुए बिजलीसहित मेघके समान शोभा पा रहे थे

Sañjaya said: Then Bhīma, the mighty-armed, brandishing and shaking his bow with his powerful arms, shone upon the battlefield, O King, like a rain-cloud lit with lightning—an image of overwhelming force and impending destruction amid the righteous yet tragic clash of kinsmen.

Verse 36

स नेमिघोषस्तनितश्चापविद्युच्छराम्बुभि: । भीमसेनमहामेघ: कर्णपर्वतमावृणोत्‌,रथके पहियोंकी घरघराहट जिसकी गम्भीर गर्जना थी और धनुष ही विद्युतके समान प्रकाशित होता था, भीमसेनरूपी उस महामेघने बाणरूपी जलकी वर्षसे कर्णरूपी पर्वतको ढक दिया

Sañjaya said: With the deep thunder of wheel-rims and the bow flashing like lightning, Bhīmasena—like a vast storm-cloud—poured a rain of arrows and completely covered Karṇa, who stood like a mountain. The image underscores how, in the fury of war, prowess and resolve can momentarily overwhelm even the mightiest, as if nature itself were unleashed.

Verse 37

तत:ः शरसहस्रेण सम्यगस्तेन भारत । पाण्डवो व्यकिरत्‌ कर्ण भीमो भीमपराक्रम:,भरतनन्दन! तदनन्तर अच्छी तरह चलाये हुए सहस्रों बाणोंसे भयंकर पराक्रमी पाण्डुपुत्र भीमने कर्णको आच्छादित कर दिया

Sañjaya said: Then, O Bhārata, with a thousand arrows, expertly discharged, Bhīma—the Pāṇḍava of dreadful prowess—showered and completely covered Karṇa. The scene underscores the relentless escalation of battle, where martial skill and resolve are tested amid the larger struggle over rightful order and kingship.

Verse 38

तत्रापश्यंस्तव सुता भीमसेनस्य विक्रमम्‌ । सुपुड्ख: कड़कवासोभिरययत्‌ कर्ण छादयच्छरै:,आपके पुत्रोंने वहाँ भीमसेनका यह अद्भुत पराक्रम देखा कि उन्होंने कंकपत्रयुक्त सुन्दर पंखवाले बाणोंसे कर्णको आच्छादित कर दिया

Sañjaya said: There your sons witnessed Bhīmasena’s astonishing prowess—how, with well-feathered arrows, he advanced and covered Karṇa on every side with a dense shower of shafts. The scene underscores the relentless momentum of battle, where valor is measured not by boast but by the capacity to press forward while maintaining martial discipline amid chaos.

Verse 39

स नन्दयन्‌ रणे पार्थ केशवं च यशस्विनम्‌ । सात्यकिं चक्ररक्षी च भीम: कर्णमयोधयत्‌,भीमसेन रणक्षेत्रमें कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुन, यशस्वी श्रीकृष्ण, सात्यकि तथा दोनों चक्ररक्षक युधामन्यु एवं उत्तमौजाको आनन्दित करते हुए कर्णके साथ युद्ध कर रहे थे

Sañjaya said: In the thick of battle, Bhīma fought Karṇa, gladdening Pārtha (Arjuna), the illustrious Keśava (Kṛṣṇa), Sātyaki, and the chariot-guards—by his valor and steadfastness on the field. The verse highlights how a warrior’s courage can hearten allies and sustain morale amid the ethical strain of war.

Verse 40

विक्रमं भुजयोर्वीर्य धैर्य च विदितात्मन: । पुत्रास्तव महाराज दृष्टवा विमनसो5भवन्‌,महाराज! सुविख्यात भीमसेनके पराक्रम, बाहुबल और धैर्यको देखकर आपके सभी पुत्र उदास हो गये

Sañjaya said: O great king, seeing the famed Bhīmasena—whose prowess, arm-strength, valor, and steadfast courage are well known—your sons became disheartened. The sight of such disciplined power shook their confidence amid the moral and physical pressures of war.

Verse 135

इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत द्रोणपर्वके अन्तर्गत जयद्रथवधपरव्वमें भीमसेनका पराक्रमविषयक एक सौ पैतीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Sañjaya said: Thus concludes the one hundred and thirty-fifth chapter of the Śrī Mahābhārata’s Droṇa Parva, within the Jayadratha-vadha section, describing Bhīmasena’s valor. The closing formula marks the narrative’s movement within the war-book, highlighting heroic effort as a moral force in the struggle for a just cause.

Verse 136

इति श्रीमहाभारते द्रोणपर्वणि जयद्रथवधपर्वणि भीमयुद्धे षट्त्रिंयधिकशततमो<्ध्याय:

Thus, in the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the Droṇa Parva—specifically in the Jayadratha-slaying section—this concludes the one-hundred-and-thirty-sixth chapter, concerning the battle involving Bhīma. The colophon marks the close of a narrative unit, situating the episode within the larger ethical frame of war: vows, retaliation, and the escalating consequences of violence on the battlefield.

Verse 193

अभ्ययु: पाण्डवं युद्धे विसृजन्त: शिलीमुखान्‌ । “वीरो! सब ओरसे राधानन्दन कर्णके रथकी ओर शीघ्र आओ और उसकी रक्षाका प्रबन्ध करो।' राजन! तब भाईकी यह बात सुनकर आपके पुत्र शीघ्रतापूर्वक युद्धमें पाण्डुपुत्र भीमपर बाणोंकी वर्षा करते हुए आ पहुँचे

Sañjaya said: In the battle the warriors surged toward the Pāṇḍava, releasing sharp arrows. “Hero! Come quickly from every side to the chariot of Karṇa, the son of Rādhā, and arrange his protection.” O King, hearing these words of their brother, your sons hastened into the fight and, showering arrows upon Bhīma, the son of Pāṇḍu, arrived at the scene.

Verse 203

चित्रायुथश्षित्रवर्मा समरे चित्रयोधिन: । उनके नाम इस प्रकार हैं--चित्र, उपचित्र, चित्राक्ष, चारुचित्र, शरासन, चित्रायुध और चित्रवर्मा। ये सब-के-सब समरभूमिमें विचित्र रीतिसे युद्ध करनेवाले थे

Sanjaya said: Citrāyudha and Citravarmā were warriors of varied and striking methods in battle. Their names were: Citra, Upacitra, Citrākṣa, Cārucitra, Śarāsana, Citrāyudha, and Citravarmā. All of them fought on the battlefield with unusual, artful tactics—suggesting not only prowess but also the many-sided, morally fraught ingenuity that war draws out in men.