Shloka 14
Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)
गदाभिमरुसलै श्चैव भिन्दिपालै: सतोमरै: । आयसै: परिधघैश्नैव निस्त्रिंशैर्विमलै: शितै:
gadābhimarusalaiś caiva bhindipālaiḥ satōmaraiḥ | āyasaiḥ paridhaghaiś caiva nistriṁśair vimalaiḥ śitaiḥ ||
Sañjaya thưa: Các chiến binh dồn ép trận chiến bằng những vũ khí nặng—chùy và gậy sắt, bhindipāla và lao, những thanh sắt parigha, cùng các thanh kiếm sáng loáng, bén như dao cạo.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse does not preach directly; it intensifies the war tableau by naming weapons of close combat. Implicitly, it highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya warfare—where duty-driven conflict can devolve into brutal hand-to-hand violence—inviting reflection on the ethical cost of battle even when fought under the banner of dharma.
Sañjaya reports the battlefield action to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describing fighters striking with maces, clubs, javelins, iron bars, and sharp swords—signaling a fierce, crowded engagement where many kinds of weapons are simultaneously in use.