Shloka 21
अभिमन्यु–अलम्बुसयुद्धम् / The Duel of Abhimanyu and Alambusa
with Arjuna’s approach to Bhīṣma
तावापतन्तौ सम्प्रेक्ष्य कालान्तकयमोपमौ । भीमसेनो महाबाहुर्गदामादाय सत्वरम्
tāv āpatantau samprekṣya kālāntaka-yamopamau | bhīmaseno mahābāhur gadām ādāya satvaram ||
సంజయుడు పలికెను—కాలాంతకుడూ యముడూ వలె భయంకరంగా దూసుకొస్తున్న ఆ ఇద్దరిని చూచి మహాబాహు భీమసేనుడు వెంటనే తన గదను పట్టుకున్నాడు।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya readiness and moral resolve in crisis: when confronted by overwhelming, death-like danger, a warrior does not collapse into fear but gathers strength and acts decisively, meeting violence with disciplined preparedness rather than panic.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield moment: two formidable opponents rush toward Bhīma with terrifying force, likened to Yama and the end-time destroyer. Seeing their charge, Bhīma quickly takes up his mace to counter them.