Shloka 37
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
ततः सुलोचनं भीम: क्षुरप्रेण महामृधे
tataḥ sulocanaṃ bhīmaḥ kṣurapreṇa mahāmṛdhe
Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian, dalam pertembungan besar yang ganas itu, Bhīma memanah Sulocana dengan anak panah setajam mata pisau—suatu perbuatan yang menegaskan bahawa dalam perang, bahkan pahlawan termasyhur pun segera tunduk kepada hukum keras pertempuran, di mana keberanian dan dharma diuji melalui tindakan yang tegas, sering kali tanpa belas.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the uncompromising nature of dharma in a kṣatriya war: once battle is joined, duty is carried out through decisive action, and outcomes hinge on skill, resolve, and the stern ethics of the battlefield.
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma, amid intense fighting, strikes the warrior Sulocana with a razor-edged arrow, marking a sharp turn in the immediate combat exchange.