Shloka 34
Chapter 12: Arjuna’s suppression of the Saṃśaptakas and duel with Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi
ततो भास्करवर्णाभमञ्जोगतिमयस्मयम् । ससर्ज तोमरं भीम: प्रत्यमित्राय यत्नवान्,तब भीमसेनने सूर्यके समान प्रकाशमान तथा सीधी गतिसे जानेवाले एक लोहमय तोमरको अपने शत्रुपर प्रयत्नपूर्वक छोड़ा त॑ चरन्तं महारज्जे निस्त्रिंशवरधारिणम्
tato bhāskaravarṇābham añjogatimaya-smayam | sasarja tomaraṃ bhīmaḥ pratyamitrāya yatnavān ||
Sañjaya said: Then Bhīma, exerting himself with full effort, hurled at his opposing foe an iron tomara (javelin), radiant like the sun and flying straight with swift, unerring speed. The scene underscores the grim ethic of battlefield duty, where resolve and skill are pressed into service for victory amid lethal confrontation.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior ethic (kṣatriya-dharma): in a righteous war, a fighter must act with focused effort and skill, even when the action is violent. It frames resolve and disciplined execution as central battlefield virtues.
Sañjaya narrates that Bhīma hurls a sun-bright, straight-flying iron tomara at his enemy, emphasizing the weapon’s radiance and direct, forceful trajectory.