Shloka 52
Droṇavadha-saṃniveśaḥ — The Convergence Toward Droṇa’s Fall
Book 7, Chapter 164
“तबतक मेरे साथ रहकर अर्जुन तथा रथियोंमें सिंहके समान पराक्रमी भीमसेन कौरवोंके साथ युद्ध करते हैं" ।। वासुदेववच: श्रुत्वा धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिर: । मुहूर्त चिन्तयित्वा तु ततो दारुणमाहवम्,भगवान् श्रीकृष्णका यह वचन सुनकर धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरने दो घड़ीतक उस दारुण युद्धके विषयमें सोचा। फिर वे तुरंत वहाँ चले गये, जहाँ शत्रुओंका संहार करनेवाले भीमसेन आपके योद्धाओंका वध करते हुए मुँह फैलाये यमराजके समान खड़े थे
tāvatkālaṃ mayā sārdhaṃ tiṣṭhann arjunaś ca rathināṃ siṃha iva parākramī bhīmasenaś ca kauravaiḥ saha yuddhaṃ kurvanti. vāsudevavacaḥ śrutvā dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ muhūrtaṃ cintayitvā tu tato dāruṇam āhavam; tataḥ sa tūrṇaṃ jagāma yatra śatrusaṃhārako bhīmaseno yūyaṃ-yoḍhān vadhann āsīt prasarita-vadano yama iva sthitaḥ.
Sanjaya said: “Meanwhile, staying with me, Arjuna and Bhimasena—lion-like among chariot-warriors—continue to fight the Kauravas.” Hearing Vasudeva’s words, King Yudhishthira reflected for a while on the dreadful battle. Then he hurried to the place where Bhimasena, destroyer of foes, stood like Yama with gaping mouth, cutting down your warriors—an image of war’s inexorable justice and terror.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the righteous leader must confront the grim reality of war: Yudhishthira pauses to reflect (cintayitvā) before acting, showing that dharma includes deliberation and responsibility, not mere impulse—yet duty may still require decisive movement amid unavoidable violence.
Sanjaya reports that Arjuna and Bhima continue fighting the Kauravas. After hearing Krishna’s message, Yudhishthira thinks briefly about the dreadful battle and then goes to the spot where Bhima is slaughtering enemy troops, depicted as standing like Yama, the embodiment of death on the battlefield.