Shloka 16

Rātri-yuddhe Droṇasya prahāraḥ — Bhīmasenasya dhārtarāṣṭra-śūrānām nigrahaḥ

Night Battle: Droṇa’s Assault and Bhīma’s Suppression of Dhārtarāṣṭra Warriors

Devanagari script

अंसे शिरो भीमसेन: करौ कृत्वोरसि स्थिरौ | वेगमास्थाय बलवान्‌ मनो5निलगरुत्मताम्‌

Transliteration

aṁse śiro bhīmasenaḥ karau kṛtvorasi sthirau | vegam āsthāya balavān mano'nilagarutmātām ||

Translation

ສັນຊະຍາກ່າວວ່າ: ພີມະເສນາໄດ້ກົດຫົວໄວ້ທີ່ບ່າ ແລະວາງມືທັງສອງໃຫ້ໝັ້ນຄົງເທິງອົກຂອງຄູ່ຕໍ່ສູ້; ຜູ້ມີກຳລັງນັ້ນຮວບຮວມແຮງທັງໝົດ ແລະພຸ້ງໄປຂ້າງໜ້າ—ຄວາມໄວຂອງລາວຖືກປຽບດັ່ງຈິດ, ດັ່ງລົມ, ແລະດັ່ງກະຣຸດ. ຂໍ້ຄຳນີ້ຊູ້ໃຫ້ເຫັນຄວາມດຸເດືອດ ແລະຄວາມແນ່ວແນ່ໃນການປະລະກັນໃກ້ຊິດ, ເມື່ອແຮງແລະແຮງສົ່ງຖືກນຳໃຊ້ດ້ວຍເຈດຈຳນົງອັນບໍ່ຫວັ່ນໄຫວ.

Word by Word

अंसेon (his) shoulder

शिरःhead

भीमसेनःBhimasena

करौtwo hands

कृत्वाhaving placed/made

उरसिon the chest

स्थिरौfirm/steady

वेगम्speed/impetus

आस्थायhaving assumed/taken up

बलवान्mighty/strong

मनःof the mind

अनिलof the wind

गरुत्मताम्of Garuḍa-like (beings); of the winged one(s)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

Garuḍa

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores disciplined force in action: power becomes effective when applied with steadiness (sthiratā) and focused momentum (vega). In the ethical frame of the epic’s battlefield, it reflects the kṣatriya ideal of resolute engagement—strength directed without wavering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīma in a grappling, close-quarters maneuver: he braces himself, places his head against the shoulder and his hands firmly on the opponent’s chest, then drives forward with tremendous speed, compared to the mind, the wind, and Garuḍa.