Shloka 31
भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः
Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt
स युद्धकुशलः पार्थों बाहुवीयेण चातुल: । अहनत् कुञ्जरानीकं गदया कालरूपधृत्
vaiśampāyana uvāca | sa yuddhakuśalaḥ pārtho bāhuvīryeṇa cātulaḥ | ahanat kuñjarānīkaṃ gadayā kālarūpadhṛt |
وہ پارتھ جنگی مہارت میں ماہر اور بازوؤں کی قوت میں بے مثال تھا۔ کال کی صورت اختیار کر کے اس نے گدا کے واروں سے ہاتھیوں کے دستے کی تباہی کا آغاز کیا۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the terrifying impersonality of war: when a warrior’s prowess becomes overwhelming, it is likened to Kāla (Time/Death), suggesting that in battle even mighty forces like an elephant corps can be swept away by an inexorable power. Ethically, it frames martial excellence as awe-inspiring yet grim, reminding the listener of war’s destructive inevitability.
Vaiśampāyana describes a Pāṇḍava hero (called Pārtha here) who is highly skilled in combat and unmatched in arm-strength. Taking on a Death-like ferocity, he attacks with a mace and begins routing/destroying the enemy’s elephant formation (kuñjarānīka).