Shloka 32
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
आविग्नं च बल॑ सर्व गदाहस्ते वृकोदरे,भीमसेनके गदा हाथमें लेते ही सारी कौरवसेना उद्दविग्न हो उठी। हमने देखा, भीमसेनकी गदासे उन धूलिधूसर पर्वताकार हाथियोंके कुम्भस्थल फट गये हैं और वे इधर- उधर भाग रहे हैं
sañjaya uvāca | āvignaṃ ca balaṃ sarvaṃ gadāhaste vṛkodare | bhīmasenasya gadayā dhūlidhūsaraparvatākārāṇāṃ hastināṃ kumbhasthalāni vidīryante sma te ca vidrutā diśo diśaḥ ||
Sanjaya said: When Vṛkodara took the mace in his hand, the entire Kaurava host became alarmed. We saw that, struck by Bhīmasena’s mace, the frontal globes of those dust-covered, mountain-like elephants were split open, and the beasts fled in all directions. The scene underscores how a single warrior’s resolute force can shatter even the mightiest instruments of war, turning pride and massed power into panic.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical reality of war: strength and resolve can decisively alter collective morale, yet the same power brings grievous suffering. It implicitly warns against overreliance on sheer numbers and war-machines (like elephants), showing how fear spreads when leadership and confidence are shaken.
Sanjaya reports that as soon as Bhima (Vrikodara) takes up his mace, the Kaurava forces become alarmed. Bhima strikes the war elephants so forcefully that their frontal globes split, and the elephants, maddened and terrified, run away in all directions, disrupting the Kaurava formation.