Shloka 15
Gadā-yuddhe Bhīma–Duryodhanayoḥ Tumulaḥ Saṃprahāraḥ
Mace-duel’s intense exchange
एवमादीनि दृष्टवाथ निमित्तानि वृकोदर: । उवाच भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठं धर्मराजं युधिष्ठिरम्,इस प्रकार बहुत-से अपशकुन देखकर भीमसेन अपने ज्येष्ठ भ्राता धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरसे बोले--
evam-ādīni dṛṣṭvātha nimittāni vṛkodaraḥ | uvāca bhrātaraṃ jyeṣṭhaṃ dharmarājaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram ||
Sañjaya said: Having observed such and other ominous portents, Vṛkodara (Bhīma) addressed his eldest brother—Yudhiṣṭhira, the king devoted to dharma—speaking in the shadow of war where signs are weighed not merely as superstition, but as moral and strategic warnings.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames omens as prompts for reflection and prudent action: even the mighty Bhīma, after noticing foreboding signs, turns to the dharma-centered judgment of Yudhiṣṭhira—suggesting that strength should be guided by ethical counsel and discernment.
Sañjaya narrates that Bhīma, having seen various ominous portents, approaches and speaks to his eldest brother Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmarāja), setting up a dialogue in the tense context of the Kurukṣetra war.