Shloka 23

भीमसेन-दुर्योधन-समागमः

Bhīmasena–Duryodhana Engagement at Sunset

Devanagari script

तस्य शक्ति महावेगां भीमसेनो महाबल: । क्रुद्धाशीविषसंकाशां प्रेषयामास भारत,भारत! तब महाबली भीमसेनने क्रोधमें भरे हुए विषधर सर्पके समान भयंकर महावेगशालिनी शक्ति भीष्मपर छोड़ी

Transliteration

tasya śaktiṁ mahāvegāṁ bhīmaseno mahābalaḥ | kruddhāśīviṣa-saṅkāśāṁ preṣayāmāsa bhārata ||

Translation

భారతా! అప్పుడు మహాబలవంతుడైన భీమసేనుడు క్రోధంతో ఉప్పొంగిన విషసర్పంలా భయంకరమైన మహావేగశాలినీ శక్తిని భీష్మునిపై విసిరాడు।

Word by Word

तस्यof him/that (of Bhīṣma)

शक्तिम्spear/weapon (śakti)

महावेगाम्of great speed/impetus

भीमसेनःBhīmasena

महाबलःmighty/very strong

क्रुद्धाशीविषसंकाशाम्like an enraged venomous serpent

प्रेषयामासsent/shot/hurled

भारतO Bhārata

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

śakti (spear/javelin weapon)

Bhārata (Dhṛtarāṣṭra as addressee)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger (krodha) intensifies destructive action in war: martial strength joined with wrath produces terrifying force. Ethically, it cautions that even within kṣatriya-duty, inner states like rage shape the gravity and consequences of one’s deeds.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Bhīma, in great fury, launches a fast and fearsome śakti (spear/javelin) at his opponent, likening its dreadful momentum to an enraged venomous serpent.