Shloka 27
Adhyāya 110: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament on Fate; Saṃjaya’s Reproof and the Princes’ Assault on Bhīma (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय ११०)
स वध्यमानो भीमेन निमेषाद् रथमास्थित: । जगाम धरणीं चैव क्षुद्र: खं सहसागमत्,भीमसेनके बाणोंकी मार खाकर राक्षस अलम्बुष पलक मारते-मारते अपने रथपर आ बैठा। वह क्षुद्र निशाचर कभी तो धरतीपर आ जाता और कभी सहसा आकाशमें पहुँच जाता था
sa vadhyamāno bhīmena nimeṣād ratham āsthitaḥ | jagāma dharaṇīṃ caiva kṣudraḥ khaṃ sahasāgamat ||
Sañjaya berkata: Dihentam serangan Bhīma, Alambuṣa—rākṣasa pengembara malam yang hina—dalam sekelip mata kembali berdiri di atas keretanya. Lalu dengan kuasa tipu-dayanya, seketika ia menjunam ke bumi, seketika pula melambung tiba-tiba ke langit—helah mengelak yang rendah dan memalukan di tengah himpitan pertempuran yang garang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts straightforward martial valor with evasive, deceptive conduct: even under pressure, some fighters resort to sudden, illusory maneuvers (earth-to-sky) that are characterized as kṣudra—morally base—highlighting how adharma can manifest in wartime tactics.
After being struck by Bhīma’s arrows, the rākṣasa Alambuṣa quickly remounts his chariot and begins darting unpredictably—now on the ground, now suddenly in the sky—attempting to evade Bhīma and continue fighting through supernatural agility.