Shloka 25
तांस्त्रास्यमानान् भीमेन दृष्टवा रक्षो महाबलम् । अभिदुद्राव वेगेन शरैश्वैनमवाकिरत्,भीमके द्वारा उन राक्षसोंको भयभीत होते देख महाबली राक्षस अलायुधने बड़े वेगसे भीमसेनपर धावा किया और उन्हें बाणोंसे ढक दिया
tāṁs trāsyamānān bhīmena dṛṣṭvā rakṣo mahābalam | abhidudrāva vegena śaraiś cainam avākirat ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing those rākṣasas thrown into panic by Bhīma, the mighty rākṣasa (Alāyudha) rushed at Bhīmasena with great speed and showered him with arrows, seeking to check his onslaught in the midst of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear spreads in war and how a powerful opponent attempts to restore his side’s momentum by directly confronting the chief threat. Ethically, it reflects the battlefield logic of checking excessive force with counter-force, while also showing the psychological dimension of dharma-yuddha: courage and morale can decide outcomes as much as weapons.
Bhīma has terrified a group of rākṣasas. Seeing them panic, the mighty rākṣasa Alāyudha charges straight at Bhīma with great speed and rains arrows upon him, trying to halt Bhīma’s advance.