Shloka 37
रौद्रस्थ कायाद्धि शिरो भीम॑ विकृतदर्शनम् | स्फुरतस्तस्य समरे नदतश्नातिभैरवम्
raudrastha-kāyāddhi śiro bhīma vikṛta-darśanam | sphuratastasya samare nadataś cātibhairavam ||
Sañjaya said: From that body, fixed in a fierce and wrathful stance, Bhīma’s head appeared—its look distorted with rage. On the battlefield it quivered with intensity, and his roar rang out, exceedingly terrifying. The verse underscores how unrestrained fury manifests outwardly in war, turning a warrior’s very presence into a force of fear, and hints at the moral cost of violence even when driven by duty and vengeance.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger (raudra-bhāva) transforms a person’s appearance and speech into instruments of fear. Even within the framework of kṣatriya-dharma, it suggests that violence fueled by wrath carries an inner ethical and psychological weight, not merely an external victory.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma in the midst of battle: his face/head looks altered by fury, his body trembles with intensity, and he roars in a way that terrifies opponents—an image of escalating combat and impending destruction.