Shloka 63
Śālva’s Elephant Assault and the Counterstroke (शाल्वस्य नागारूढाभ्यवहारः)
श्रेयो नो भीमसेनस्य क्रुद्धस्याभिमुखे स्थितम् । सुख: सांग्रामिको मृत्यु: क्षत्रधर्मेण युध्यताम्,“अतः क्रोधमें भरे हुए भीमसेनके सामने डटे रहना ही हमारे लिये कल्याणकारी होगा। क्षत्रियधर्मके अनुसार युद्ध करनेवाले वीर पुरुषोंके लिये संग्राममें होनेवाली मृत्यु ही सुखद है
śreyo no bhīmasenasya kruddhasyābhimukhe sthitam | sukhaḥ sāṅgrāmiko mṛtyuḥ kṣatradharmeṇa yudhyatām ||
Por isso, para nós, o melhor é permanecer firmes diante de Bhīmasena quando ele está tomado de ira. Para os guerreiros que lutam segundo o dharma dos kṣatriyas, a morte no campo de batalha é, por si só, um fim abençoado.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse upholds kṣatriya-dharma: for a warrior committed to righteous combat, it is better to stand one’s ground—even before a fearsome, enraged opponent—because death attained in battle while fulfilling duty is considered an auspicious, honorable end.
Sañjaya describes a resolve on the battlefield: rather than retreating from the furious Bhīma, the warriors choose to face him directly, framing steadfast resistance and even the possibility of death as preferable to abandoning the warrior’s duty.