Shloka 38
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 109 — Karṇa–Bhīma Yuddha and Durmukha’s Fall (कर्णभीमयुद्धम्; दुर्मुखवधः)
भज्यमानं बल॑ राजन् सात्वतेन महात्मना
bhajyamānaṃ balaṃ rājan sātvaten mahātmanā
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, bala tentera sedang dihancur-leburkan oleh pahlawan Sātvata yang berjiwa agung itu—laksana daya yang tidak tertahan di medan perang, tempat keberanian dan tekad memecahkan barisan serta menguji ketahanan moral semua yang menyaksikannya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, collective power (bala) can collapse before concentrated courage and skill; it also frames the ethical weight of battle through Sañjaya’s witness—victory and destruction arise from human agency, and leaders must face the consequences of the conflict they sustain.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the opposing force is being broken on the battlefield by a great Sātvata warrior (commonly understood as Sātyaki), indicating a decisive surge that disrupts the enemy’s formations.