Shloka 216
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
शक्रदेवो5भिदुद्राव शरैरवकिरन् शितै: । शत्रुदमन भीमसेनको वहाँ रथहीन हुआ देख शक्रदेव तीखे बाणोंकी वर्षा करता हुआ उनकी ओर दौड़ा
śakradevo 'bhidudrāva śarair avakiran śitaiḥ | śatrudamana bhīmasenako vahāṁ rathahīna huā dekh śakradeva tīkhē bāṇoṁkī varṣā kartā huā unakī ora dauṛā
サンジャヤは言った。敵を鎮めるビーマセーナがそこで戦車を失っているのを見て、シャクラデーヴァは鋭い矢の雨を浴びせながら彼めがけて突進した。この一幕は、戦の容赦ない勢いを示す。相手が露わになった瞬間に利を奪い、武勇は突如の運命の転変の中で試されるのである。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In the battlefield ethic of kṣatriya-dharma, vigilance and readiness are paramount: when a warrior becomes exposed (here, chariotless), the opponent presses the advantage. The verse highlights how swiftly circumstances change in war and how courage is measured in moments of sudden vulnerability.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīmasena has become rathahīna (without his chariot). Seeing this, Śakradeva charges toward him and showers him with sharp arrows, intensifying the immediate danger to Bhīma.