Shloka 17
Virāṭa Rescued from Suśarmā; Night Battle and Royal Gratitude (विराटमोक्षणं सुशर्मवधाभिमुखं च)
(युधिष्ठिरोडपि धर्मात्मा भ्रातृभि: सहितस्तदा । व्यूहं कृत्वा विराटस्य अन्वयुध्यत पाण्डव: ।। आत्मानं श्येनवत् कृत्वा तुण्डमासीद् युधिष्ठिर: । पक्षौ यमौ च भवत: पुच्छमासीद् वृकोदर: ।। सहस्र॑ न्यहनत् तत्र कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिर: । भीमसेन: सुसंक्रुद्धः सर्वशस्त्रभूतां वर: ।। द्विसहस््रं रथान् वीर: परलोकं प्रवेशयत् | नकुलस्त्रिशतं जघ्ने सहदेवश्चवतुःशतम् ।।) पाण्डुनन्दन धर्मात्मा युधिष्ठिरने भी भाइयों-सहित व्यूह-रचना करके राजा विराटके लिये त्रिगर्तोंके साथ युद्ध आरम्भ किया। उन्होंने अपने-आपको श्येन (बाज) पक्षीके रूपमें उपस्थित करके उसकी चोंचका स्थान ग्रहण किया। नकुल और सहदेव दोनों पंखोंके रूपमें हो गये। भीमसेन एूँछके स्थानमें हुए। कुन्तीपुत्र युधिष्ठिरने शत्रुओंके एक सहस्र सैनिकोंका संहार कर डाला। सम्पूर्ण शस्त्रधारियोंमें श्रेष्ठ वीर भीमसेनने अत्यन्त कुपित हो दो हजार रथियोंको परलोक पहुँचा दिया। नकुलने तीन सौ और सहदेवने चार सौ सैनिकोंको मार डाला। उपाविशन् गरुत्मन्तः शरैर्गाढं प्रवेजिता: । अन्तरिक्षे गतियेंषां दर्शनं चाप्यरुध्यत,आकाशचारी पक्षी भी बाणसमूहोंसे अत्यन्त उद्विग्न होकर इधर-उधर बैठ गये। उनका आकाशमें उड़ना और दूरतक देखना भी बंद हो गया
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
yudhiṣṭhiro 'pi dharmātmā bhrātṛbhiḥ sahitas tadā |
vyūhaṃ kṛtvā virāṭasya anvayudhyata pāṇḍavaḥ ||
ātmānaṃ śyenavat kṛtvā tuṇḍam āsīd yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
pakṣau yamau ca bhavataḥ puccham āsīd vṛkodaraḥ ||
sahasraṃ nyahanat tatra kuntīputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
bhīmasenaḥ susaṃkruddhaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ ||
dvisahasraṃ rathān vīraḥ paralokaṃ praveśayat |
nakulas triśataṃ jaghne sahadevaś catuḥśatam ||
upāviśan garutmantaḥ śaraiḥ gāḍhaṃ pravejitāḥ |
antarikṣe gati yeṣāṃ darśanaṃ cāpy arudhyata ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then Yudhiṣṭhira too, righteous-souled, together with his brothers, formed a battle-array for King Virāṭa and engaged the Trigartas in combat. Shaping himself like a hawk, Yudhiṣṭhira took the place of the beak; the twins became the two wings, and Vṛkodara (Bhīma) became the tail. There Kuntī’s son Yudhiṣṭhira struck down a thousand of the enemy. Bhīmasena, fiercely enraged and foremost among weapon-bearers, sent two thousand chariot-warriors to the other world. Nakula slew three hundred, and Sahadeva four hundred. The garuḍa-like warriors, hard-pressed and deeply pierced by showers of arrows, were forced to alight here and there; their movement through the sky and even their far-seeing vision were checked.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in warfare, dharma expresses itself as disciplined action in service of a rightful cause: the Pāṇḍavas fight not for personal rage alone but to protect King Virāṭa, using coordinated strategy and shared responsibility. The passage also underscores that power must be guided—Bhīma’s fury is effective, yet it is framed within the collective duty and formation led by the dharmic Yudhiṣṭhira.
Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers arrange themselves in a hawk-shaped battle formation to support King Virāṭa against the Trigartas. Yudhiṣṭhira takes the ‘beak’ position, the twins form the wings, and Bhīma forms the tail. They inflict heavy casualties—Yudhiṣṭhira kills a thousand, Bhīma two thousand chariot-warriors, Nakula three hundred, and Sahadeva four hundred—while the opposing, ‘garuḍa-like’ fighters are overwhelmed by dense arrow-fire and lose their freedom of movement and clear sight.