Shloka 78
ततः प्रहस्य समरे भैमसेनिर्महाबल:
tataḥ prahasya samare bhaimasenir mahābalaḥ
Sañjaya said: Then, laughing aloud in the midst of battle, the mighty Bhīmasena—strong and unshaken—advanced with grim confidence, as if to declare by his very demeanor that fear has no place where resolve and righteous wrath have been awakened.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the inner stance of a warrior: fearlessness and resolve can manifest outwardly as laughter or scorn in the face of danger. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such composure signals steadfastness in one’s chosen duty (kṣatriya-dharma), though it also hints at the hardening of the heart that prolonged war can bring.
Sañjaya narrates a moment on the battlefield where Bhīmasena, described as immensely strong, laughs in the thick of combat—an image that typically precedes a forceful attack or a decisive turn, emphasizing his confidence and aggressive momentum.