Shloka 36
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
महेन्द्रसमवीर्येण वध्यमाना महाचमू:
mahendrasamavīryeṇa vadhyamānā mahācamūḥ
మహేంద్రునితో సమానమైన పరాక్రమం గలవాడి చేత వధింపబడుతూ ఆ మహాచమూ నిరంతరం క్షీణించసాగింది.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line underscores the terrifying scale of battlefield karma: when a warrior of extraordinary prowess enters combat, the collective fate of an army can turn swiftly. Ethically, it highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between kṣatriya duty (fighting with valor) and the human cost that such duty unleashes.
Sañjaya describes a vast force (mahācamūḥ) being cut down by a fighter whose strength is likened to Indra’s. The simile conveys that the opposing side is being overwhelmed by near-divine martial power in the ongoing battle of the Bhīṣma Parva.