Shloka 19
तमायान्तमभिप्रेक्ष्य स तदालायुध: प्रभो । घटोत्कचं समुत्सृज्य भीमसेनं समाह्दयत्,प्रभो! उस समय उन्हें आते देख अलायुधने घटोत्कचको छोड़कर भीमसेनको ललकारा
tam āyāntam abhiprekṣya sa tadā lāyudhaḥ prabho | ghaṭotkacaṃ samutsṛjya bhīmasenaṃ samāhvayat ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing him approaching at that moment, O lord, Ālāyudha released Ghaṭotkaca and challenged Bhīmasena. In the press of battle, he chose to turn from one formidable foe to confront another directly, intensifying the duel-driven ethos of the war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya-war ethos of direct challenge and the strategic choice of opponents in battle: a warrior may disengage from one fight to confront a more immediate or significant threat, underscoring how personal valor and tactical judgment operate within the larger, morally fraught war.
Ālāyudha sees an approaching warrior (contextually Bhīmasena) and, shifting focus, stops engaging Ghaṭotkaca and instead calls Bhīma out for combat, setting up a direct confrontation amid the Drona Parva battles.