Shloka 89
Daiva–Puruṣakāra Discourse and the Elephant-Corps Engagement (भीमगजानीक-सम्भ्रान्ति)
भीमसेन भयत्रस्तं सैन्यं च समकम्पत । क्षोभ्यमाणमसम्बाधं ग्राहेणेव महत् सर:
sañjaya uvāca | bhīmasena-bhayatrastaṃ sainyaṃ ca samakampata | kṣobhyamāṇam asambādhaṃ grāheṇeva mahat saraḥ ||
三阇耶说道：大军为毗摩塞那所震慑，开始战栗。无人能阻、无物可挡，它被他搅动得翻腾不已——如同浩大湖泊被鳄鱼攫住而波涛汹涌。于是全军在毗摩塞那无休止的冲击下，惶惧而颤抖。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unchecked force and fearless momentum can dissolve an army’s cohesion: fear spreads rapidly, and even a large host becomes unstable when confronted by overwhelming, relentless power. Ethically, it also points to the inner dimension of war—victory and collapse are shaped not only by weapons but by morale and the capacity to withstand terror.
Sañjaya describes Bhīma’s onslaught in the battle: as Bhīmasena attacks without being stopped, the opposing troops are shaken and panic-stricken. The army’s agitation is compared to a great lake violently churned when a crocodile seizes and thrashes within it.