Shloka 15

Devanagari script

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

Transliteration

tato bhīmo mahābāhur navabhir nataparvabhiḥ | preṣayāmāsa saṅkruddhaḥ sūtaputrasya māriṣa ||

Translation

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.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

भीमःBhima

महाबाहुःmighty-armed

नवभिःwith nine

नतपर्वभिःhaving bent joints (i.e., barbed/curved-jointed arrows)

प्रेषयामासsent, discharged

संक्रुद्धःenraged

सूतपुत्रस्यof the charioteer’s son (Karna)

मारिषO venerable one / O dear sir

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīma (Bhīmasena)

Karna (Sūtaputra)

nine arrows

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger (krodha) intensifies conflict and propels decisive, even ruthless action in war. It implicitly warns that emotional heat can dominate judgment, making the battlefield a testing ground not only of strength but of inner restraint and ethical steadiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that Bhīma, furious, releases nine specially described arrows (nata-parvan) at Karṇa, referred to as the Sūta’s son. It is a moment of direct martial pressure within the larger Drona Parva battle sequence.