एवम् उक्ते तु कृष्णेन यथोद्दिष्टा महारथाः ॥
जग्मुर् वैकर्तनं कर्णं राक्षसांश् चेतरान् रणे ॥
अथ पूर्णायतोत्सृष्टैः शरैर् आशीविषोपमैः ॥
धनुश् चिच्छेद भीमस्य राक्षसेन्द्रः प्रतापवान् ॥
हयांश् चास्य शितैर् बाणैः सारथिं च महाबलः ॥
जघान मिषतः संख्ये भीमसेनस्य भारत ॥
सो ऽवतीर्य रथोपस्थाद् धताश्वो हतसारथिः ॥
तस्मै गुर्वीं गदां घोरां स विनद्योत्ससर्ज ह ॥
evam ukte tu kṛṣṇena yathoddiṣṭā mahārathāḥ ||
jagmur vaikartanaṃ karṇaṃ rākṣasāṃś cetarān raṇe ||
atha pūrṇāyatotsṛṣṭaiḥ śarair āśīviṣopamaiḥ ||
dhanuś ciccheda bhīmasya rākṣasendraḥ pratāpavān ||
hayāṃś cāsya śitair bāṇaiḥ sārathiṃ ca mahābalaḥ ||
jaghāna miṣataḥ saṃkhye bhīmasenasya bhārata ||
so 'vatīrya rathopasthād dhatāśvo hatasārathiḥ ||
tasmai gurvīṃ gadāṃ ghorāṃ sa vinadyotsasarja ha ||
"...hold back, O tiger among men, for a great danger has come." When Krishna had spoken thus, the great warriors, as directed, went against Vaikartana Karna and against the other rakshasas in the battle. Then with arrows loosed from a fully-drawn bow, resembling serpents, the lord of rakshasas, mighty, cut down the bow of Bhima. And his horses with sharp arrows, and his charioteer, the mighty one slew before Bhimasena's very eyes in battle, O Bharata. He, having descended from the chariot platform, with his horses and charioteer slain...
3c3afc526ca2 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:58:10 PM UTC
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Alayudha strips Bhima of chariot, horses, and charioteer — laying him bare, as Bhima himself had earlier laid bare his foes. It is telling that even the fearsome Bhima finds himself in the very distress for which aid is now summoned. The verse teaches that in war no one is invulnerable: today the strongest presses, tomorrow he himself is pressed; and so even the mighty need the help of friends — for the wheel of battle turns, and solitary strength does not hold where an equal force arises against it.