Shloka 31
भरतश्रेष्ठ) उसने अपने महाधनुर्धर समस्त सैनिकों और योद्धाओंको रणभूमिमें इस प्रकार आदेश देते हुए कहा--“तुम सब लोग मिलकर भीमसेनको मार डालो ।। तस्मिन् हते हतं मन्ये पाण्डुसैन्यमशेषत: । प्रतिगृह्य॒ च तामाज्ञां तव पुत्रस्य पार्थिवा:
sañjaya uvāca | (bharataśreṣṭha) saḥ svān mahādhanurdharān sarvān sainikān yoddhāṃś ca raṇabhūmau evam ājñāpayām āsa— “yūyaṃ sarve saṃhatā bhīmasenaṃ jahiṣyatha | tasmin hate hataṃ manye pāṇḍusainyam aśeṣataḥ” | pratigṛhya ca tām ājñāṃ tava putrasya pārthivāḥ |
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: “O pinakamahusay sa mga Bharata, sa larangan ng digmaan ay iniutos niya sa lahat ng matatapang na mamamana, kawal, at mandirigma: ‘Kayong lahat ay magsama-sama at patayin si Bhīmasena. Kapag siya’y napatay, ituturing kong lubos nang nalipol ang hukbo ng mga Pāṇḍava.’ Nang tanggapin ang utos na iyon ng iyong anak, ang mga hari (na kanyang mga kapanalig) ay naghanda upang kumilos ayon dito.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war-leadership often reduces a complex conflict to a single decisive target, treating the fall of a key protector (Bhima) as the collapse of an entire cause. Ethically, it shows the instrumental mindset of battle—victory pursued through eliminating pivotal individuals—raising questions about dharma when strategy is driven primarily by annihilation rather than justice.
On the battlefield, Duryodhana (referred to as ‘your son’) commands his archers and allied kings to unite and kill Bhima. He believes Bhima’s death would effectively end the Pandavas’ fighting strength. The allied rulers accept the command and move to execute it.