Shloka 29
Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)
भीमो<पि नागगात्रेभ्यो विनि:सृत्यापयाज्जवात् । ततः सर्वस्य सैन्यस्य नाद: समभवन्महान्,थोड़ी देर बाद भीम हाथीके शरीरसे निकलकर बड़े वेगसे भाग गये। उस समय सारी सेनामें बड़े जोरसे कोलाहल होने लगा
bhīmo 'pi nāgagātrebhyo viniḥsṛtyāpayāj javāt | tataḥ sarvasya sainyasya nādaḥ samabhavan mahān ||
Sañjaya said: Bhīma too, having forced his way out from among the bodies of the elephants, sped away with great swiftness. Thereupon a tremendous roar arose throughout the entire army—an outbreak of alarm and tumult born of the shock of close combat and the sudden turn of events.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic: individual prowess and quick judgment can shift collective morale. In war, fear and confidence spread rapidly through an army; thus discipline and steadiness are crucial to kṣatriya conduct.
Bhīma breaks free from the press of elephants and withdraws at great speed. His sudden emergence and movement triggers a loud uproar across the army, signaling confusion, alarm, or a surge of excitement in the ongoing combat.