Shloka 32
भरतनन्दन! भीमसेनको गदा हाथमें लिये देख आपके सैनिक कालदण्ड लेकर आया हुआ यमराज मानने लगे ।।
bharatanandana! bhīmasenaṃ gadā-hastaṃ dṛṣṭvā tava sainikāḥ kāla-daṇḍaṃ gṛhītvāgatam iva yamarājaṃ mene || sa matta iva mātaṅgaḥ saṃkruddhaḥ pāṇḍu-nandanaḥ | praviveśa gajā-nīkaṃ makaraḥ sāgaraṃ yathā ||
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai keturunan Bharata, melihat Bhīmasena memegang gada, askarmu menyangka itulah Yama datang membawa tongkat Maut. Lalu Bhīmasena, putera Pāṇḍu, mengamuk seperti gajah jantan mabuk musth, menerobos masuk ke korps gajah musuh—bagaikan makara menyelam ke lautan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames battlefield power in ethical terms: when violence is tied to judgment and consequence, it is imagined as Yama’s rod—an emblem that deeds ripen into unavoidable results. It also shows how inner states (wrath, resolve) shape collective perception (fear, collapse of morale).
Sañjaya reports that Bhīma, mace in hand, advances so terrifyingly that the Kaurava soldiers think Death himself has arrived. In a vivid simile, Bhīma—like a rut-maddened elephant—charges into the enemy elephant division, like a makara plunging into the sea.