तौ समेतौ महारङ्गे स्पर्धमानौ महाबलौ ॥
जीमूताव् इव घर्मान्ते गर्जमानौ नभस्तले ॥
तयोर् आसीत् संप्रहारः क्रुद्धयोर् नरसिंहयोः ॥
अमृष्यमाणयोः संख्ये देवदानवयोर् इव ॥
क्षीणशस्त्रस् तु कौन्तेयः कर्णेन समभिद्रुतः ॥
दृष्ट्वार्जुनहतान् नागान् पतितान् पर्वतोपमान् ॥
रथमार्गविघातार्थं व्यायुधः प्रविवेश ह ॥
हस्तिनां व्रजम् आसाद्य रथदुर्गं प्रविश्य च ॥
पाण्डवो जीविताकाङ्क्षी राधेयं नाभ्यहारयत् ॥
tau sametau mahāraṅge spardhamānau mahābalau ||
jīmūtāv iva gharmānte garjamānau nabhastale ||
tayor āsīt saṃprahāraḥ kruddhayor narasiṃhayoḥ ||
amṛṣyamāṇayoḥ saṃkhye devadānavayor iva ||
kṣīṇaśastras tu kaunteyaḥ karṇena samabhidrutaḥ ||
dṛṣṭvārjunahatān nāgān patitān parvatopamān ||
rathamārgavighātārthaṃ vyāyudhaḥ praviveśa ha ||
hastināṃ vrajam āsādya rathadurgaṃ praviśya ca ||
pāṇḍavo jīvitākāṅkṣī rādheyaṃ nābhyahārayat ||
Those two, come together on the great arena, rivaling each other, mighty ones — like two clouds at the close of the hot season, thundering in the sky. Between those two there was a clash of enraged man-lions, not enduring [each other] in the fray, as if of gods and danavas. But the son of Kunti, his weapons spent, hard pressed by Karna, seeing the elephants slain by Arjuna, fallen, resembling mountains, having reached a herd of elephants and entered a fortress made of chariots, the Pandava, wishing to preserve his life, did not attack Radheya.
135346aa25dd · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:25:13 PM UTC
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Bhima, his weapons spent, withdraws to shelter, 'wishing to preserve his life' — and this is not cowardice but clear-headedness: for an unarmed man to stand under blows is not valor but futile ruin. It is telling that earlier he craved 'death or victory,' yet now he safeguards his life: wisdom knows the hour to stand and the hour to withdraw. The verse teaches that courage does not cancel prudence; to preserve oneself for a future battle, when there is nothing left to strike with, is not a betrayal of duty but its right understanding.