Shloka 117
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
स हत्वा सर्वकालिज्ान् सेनामध्ये व्यतिष्ठत । नैनमभ्युत्सहन् केचित् तावका भरतर्षभ
sa hatvā sarva-kāliṅgān senā-madhye vyatiṣṭhata | nainam abhyutsahan kecit tāvakā bharatarṣabha ||
Disse Sañjaya: Tendo abatido todos os guerreiros de Kaliṅga, Bhīmasena permaneceu firme bem no meio do exército. Contudo, entre as tuas tropas—ó touro dos Bhāratas—ninguém encontrou coragem para avançar contra ele.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming martial excellence can paralyze opponents with fear, creating a moral tension between kṣatriya duty (to face the enemy) and the instinct for self-preservation. It also illustrates the epic’s recurring theme that adharma-driven war breeds escalating violence and psychological collapse.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Bhīma has annihilated the Kaliṅga contingent and now stands unshaken in the center of the battlefield formation. The Kaurava soldiers, intimidated by his ferocity and strength, cannot bring themselves to confront him.