Shloka 4
Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)
ततो मध्ये नरेन्द्राणामूर्ध्वबाहुर्हलायुध: । कुर्वन्नार्तस्वरं घोरं धिग् धिग् भीमेत्युवाच ह
tato madhye narendrāṇām ūrdhvabāhur halāyudhaḥ | kurvann ārta-svaraṃ ghoraṃ dhig dhig bhīmeti uvāca ha ||
Then, in the midst of the assembled kings, Halāyudha (Balarāma) raised his arms aloft and, uttering a dreadful cry of anguish, repeatedly exclaimed, “Shame! Shame, Bhīma!”—a public denunciation expressing moral outrage amid the violence of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war, actions are subject to moral scrutiny: Balarāma’s public cry of “dhik dhik” signals that certain deeds are viewed as violating accepted standards of righteous conduct (dharma), and that ethical accountability persists even in extreme circumstances.
Sañjaya reports that Balarāma, standing among the kings, raises his arms and cries out in anguish, repeatedly censuring Bhīma with “Shame! Shame!”—indicating strong disapproval of Bhīma’s conduct in the ongoing battle episode.