Shloka 13
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
ततः प्रासृजदुग्राणि शरवर्षाणि पाण्डव: । समरे तमनादृत्य तस्य वीर्यमचिन्तयन्,तब समरभूमिमें कर्णके पराक्रमको कुछ न समझते हुए उसकी अवहेलना करके पाण्डुनन्दन भीमसेनने उसके ऊपर भयंकर बाणोंकी वर्षा प्रारम्भ कर दी
tataḥ prāsṛjad ugrāṇi śaravarṣāṇi pāṇḍavaḥ | samare tam anādṛtya tasya vīryam acintayan ||
Sañjaya said: Then the Pāṇḍava (Bhīmasena), disregarding him in the thick of battle and giving no weight to his prowess, unleashed fierce showers of arrows upon him. The scene underscores the ruthless momentum of war, where contempt for an opponent’s strength becomes both a tactic and a moral risk, intensifying the cycle of violence on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, contempt for an opponent’s strength can drive aggressive action; ethically, it warns that underestimating others and acting from disdain can intensify conflict and cloud prudent judgment, even within the framework of kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya narrates that Bhīma, a Pāṇḍava, ignores (or belittles) Karṇa’s prowess on the battlefield and begins pelting him with a fierce barrage of arrows.