Shloka 3
Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)
संजय उवाच शिरस्यभिह्ठतं दृष्टवा भीमसेनेन ते सुतम् । राम: प्रहरतां श्रेष्ठक्षुक्रोध बलवदूबली,संजयने कहा--राजन्! भीमसेनके द्वारा आपके पुत्रके मस्तकपर पैरका प्रहार हुआ देख योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ बलवान् बलरामको बड़ा क्रोध हुआ
sañjaya uvāca | śirasy abhiṣṭhitaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhīmasenena te sutam | rāmaḥ praharatāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ krodhaṃ balavad ābabhau ||
Sanjaya said: O King, seeing your son struck upon the head by Bhimasena’s trampling blow, mighty Balarama—foremost among those who smite in battle—was seized by a powerful wrath. The scene underscores how acts perceived as excessive or dishonourable in combat can ignite moral outrage even among allied elders, intensifying the ethical tension within the war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical volatility of war: when a warrior’s action is seen as crossing the bounds of honorable conduct, it can provoke righteous indignation and escalate conflict. Even revered elders like Balarama respond strongly when they perceive a breach of martial propriety.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Bhimasena has struck/trampled Dhritarashtra’s son (Duryodhana) on the head. Witnessing this, Balarama—renowned as a supreme fighter—becomes intensely angry.