Shloka 53
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
तत: क्षणेन तद् भीमो न््यहनद् भरतर्षभ,भरतश्रेष्ठ) इसके बाद भीमसेनने क्षणभरमें आपकी सेनाका संहार कर डाला। भारत! जब उन कौरव-सैनिकोंका संहार होने लगा, तब महारथी सेनापतिगण भीमसेनपर आक्रमण करके उनके साथ युद्ध करने लगे
tataḥ kṣaṇena tad bhīmo nyahanad bharatarṣabha | bharataśreṣṭha |
Sañjaya said: Then, in a mere moment, Bhīma struck down and shattered that force, O bull among the Bharatas. As the Kaurava soldiers began to be destroyed, the great chariot-warriors who were commanders and leaders rushed to attack Bhīmasena and engaged him in battle—showing how, in war, the fall of the many compels the foremost to step forward, even when the tide turns against them.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a wartime ethical dynamic: when ordinary troops collapse, responsibility shifts to leaders and elite warriors to confront the threat directly. It reflects kṣatriya-dharma—bearing the burden of protection and command—even amid catastrophic loss, while also underscoring the grim momentum of violence once mass slaughter begins.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma rapidly devastates the Kaurava forces. As the Kaurava soldiers are being cut down, their leading commanders and great chariot-warriors launch an attack on Bhīmasena and engage him in combat.