Shloka 206
Adhyāya 35 — Bhīmasena’s Counter-Encirclement and the Karṇa Engagement Escalation
भीमसेनं च राधेय माद्रीपुत्री यमावपि । 'राधानन्दन! या तो तुम धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरको कैद कर लो या अर्जुन, भीमसेन तथा माद्रीकुमार नकुल-सहदेवको मार डालो
bhīmasenaṃ ca rādhēya mādrīputrau yamāv api |
Sañjaya berkata: “Dan Bhīmasena juga, wahai putera Rādhā—bersama kedua-dua putera kembar Mādrī.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse, in context, highlights how war pressures leaders into extreme choices—capturing or killing key opponents—raising the Mahābhārata’s recurring ethical question: when strategy demands harsh action, how far can one go without violating dharma and losing moral legitimacy?
Sañjaya reports a directive aimed at Karṇa: Bhīma and the twin sons of Mādrī are named as targets, alongside the larger aim of either capturing Yudhiṣṭhira or slaying Arjuna, Bhīma, Nakula, and Sahadeva—framing a decisive push to break the Pāṇḍava leadership in the Kurukṣetra battle.