Shloka 21
(असंयुक्ताश्न ते राजन् परिवृत्ता रणं प्रति । हया नागा रथाश्रैव नदन्तो<र्जुनमभ्ययु: ।।) राजन! तदनन्तर पृथक्-पृथक् वे हाथी, घोड़े और रथ पुनः युद्धस्थलमें लौट आये और अर्जुनके सामने गर्जना करते हुए डट गये। ततस्त्र्यज्रेण महता बलेन भरतर्षभ । दृष्टवा परिवृतं राजन् भीमसेन: किरीटिनम्,नरेश्वर! भरतश्रेष्ठ] तदनन्तर अर्जुनको तीन अंगोंवाली विशाल सेनासे घिरा देख भीमसेन मरनेसे बचे हुए आपके कतिपय रथियोंको छोड़कर बड़े वेगसे धनंजयके रथकी ओर दौड़े
sañjaya uvāca | asaṃyuktāś ca te rājan parivṛttā raṇaṃ prati | hayā nāgā rathāś caiva nadanto 'rjunam abhyayuḥ || rājann tadanantaraṃ pṛthak-pṛthag ye hastino 'śvāś ca rathāś ca punar yuddhasthalaṃ pratyāgatāḥ, arjunasya sammukhe garjantaḥ sthitāḥ | tatas try-aṅgeṇa mahatā balena bharatarṣabha | dṛṣṭvā parivṛtaṃ rājan bhīmasenaḥ kirīṭinam | nareśvara bharataśreṣṭha tadanantaraṃ dhanañjayasya rathaṃ prati mahāvegena dhāvata, tava kecid rathinaḥ prāṇabhiḥ śeṣāṃs tyaktvā ||
Sañjaya said: O King, those troops of yours who had become disordered turned back again toward the battlefield. Horses, elephants, and chariots advanced once more, roaring as they came up against Arjuna. Then, O bull among the Bharatas, seeing the diademed Arjuna surrounded by a great threefold force, Bhīmasena—O lord of men, best of the Bharatas—abandoned the pursuit of some of your surviving chariot-warriors and rushed with great speed toward Dhanañjaya’s chariot, intent on breaking the encirclement.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the midst of chaos, duty expresses itself as steadfast support of one’s ally: Bhīma prioritizes relieving Arjuna’s encirclement over pursuing lesser targets, showing strategic discernment joined to fraternal loyalty.
Dispersed Kaurava units regroup and charge back, with horses, elephants, and chariots roaring as they confront Arjuna. Seeing Arjuna hemmed in by a large three-armed force, Bhīma breaks off from chasing some surviving enemy chariot-warriors and rushes toward Arjuna’s chariot to help.