Shloka 37
भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः
Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt
पातयन् समरे राजन् युगान्ताग्निरिव ज्वलन् | वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्! उस समय द्रोणाचार्यका प्रिय करनेके लिये उद्यत हुए पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुन द्रुपदपर बाणसमूहोंकी वर्षा करते हुए उनपर चढ़ आये। वे रणभूमिमें घोड़ों
pātayan samare rājan yugāntāgnir iva jvalan |
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Wahai Raja, di tengah pertempuran Arjuna menyala bagaikan api pada penghujung zaman; sambil mara dia menurunkan hujan anak panah, menumbangkan musuh. Demi memenuhi kehendak Droṇa, dia menekan Drupada, membelah gugusan kuda, kereta perang dan gajah, lalu bersinar di medan laga seperti kebakaran besar saat kebinasaan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames martial prowess within a web of obligations: Arjuna’s ferocity is not mere rage but purposeful action aimed at fulfilling his teacher Droṇa’s desire. It highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between loyalty to one’s guru and the ethical weight of violence undertaken to satisfy that loyalty.
In the campaign against Drupada, Arjuna advances in battle, showering arrows and felling opponents, described with apocalyptic imagery (like the fire at the end of an age). He moves against Drupada’s forces—Pāñcālas and Sṛñjayas—devastating formations of horses, chariots, and elephants as he closes in.