Shloka 15
The Bhīma-Dvādaśī
Kalyāṇinī) Vow and the Anangadāna-Vrata (with a Courtesan-Conduct Discourse
प्रवर्तकोऽस्य धर्मस्य पांडुसूनुर्महाबलः । यस्य तीक्ष्णो वृको नाम जठरे हव्यवाहनः
pravartako'sya dharmasya pāṃḍusūnurmahābalaḥ | yasya tīkṣṇo vṛko nāma jaṭhare havyavāhanaḥ
إنّ ابنَ باندو الجبّار هو مُحرّكُ هذا الدارما؛ ذاك الذي يتّقد في بطنه نارُ القرابين الحاملةُ للهَفْيَة، حادّةً، وتُدعى «فْرِكا».
Uncertain (context not provided; likely within the Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue framework typical of the Padma Purāṇa narration)
Concept: Dharma is propelled by inner fire—energy, discipline, and capacity to ‘digest’ obligations; the doer’s vigor sustains religious practice.
Application: Channel strong appetites and energies into structured practice—fasting rules, regulated eating, service, and consistent observances rather than indulgence.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: hasya
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Bhīma stands like a living pillar of strength, his broad torso subtly glowing at the abdomen as if an inner sacrificial fire burns. Elders point to him as the ‘promoter of dharma,’ while offerings and ritual implements nearby mirror the metaphor of havis entering Agni.","primary_figures":["Bhīmasena (Vṛkodara/Vṛka)","elder sages/narrator","assembled Kuru/Vṛṣṇi listeners"],"setting":"A ritual-adjacent assembly with a small yajña-kuṇḍa, ladles, and offering bowls; backdrop of pillars or forest hermitage.","lighting_mood":"dramatic","color_palette":["flame orange","charcoal black","bronze","crimson","deep teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: heroic Bhīma with massive physique, ornate armlets and waistband, subtle glow at the navel/abdomen symbolizing jatharāgni; sages indicating him as dharma’s promoter; yajña-kuṇḍa with ladles and offerings; heavy gold leaf highlights, rich reds and greens, embossed borders, traditional iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Bhīma in poised stance, expressive eyes, refined musculature; a small fire altar nearby, sages seated with manuscripts; cool mountain-like palette with warm fire accents, delicate brushwork, narrative clarity and gentle humor in the ‘appetite’ motif.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and stylized anatomy; Bhīma’s abdomen marked with flame motif, sages in rhythmic arrangement, ritual objects simplified into iconic forms; red-yellow-green pigments with black contouring, temple-wall grandeur.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Bhīma as central figure framed by lotus and flame motifs; border filled with miniature ritual implements (ladles, kalasha, conch) in gold linework on deep indigo; devotional narrative tone despite heroic subject."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["fire crackle","low drum pulse","conch shell accent","murmur of assembly"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रवर्तकोऽस्य = प्रवर्तकः + अस्य (विसर्ग-सन्धि); पांडुसूनुर्महाबलः = पाण्डुसूनुः + महाबलः; भेदः: हव्यवाहनः = हव्य-वाहनः (समास)
FAQs
The verse uses the general epithet “Pāṇḍusūnu” (son of Pāṇḍu). Without adjacent verses, the specific Pāṇḍava cannot be fixed with certainty from this single line alone.
“Havyavāhana” is a standard epithet of Agni, the sacrificial fire that carries offerings (havis) to the gods; here it is described as blazing within the person’s belly, i.e., intense inner fire/digestive-sacrificial energy.
It links dharma with inner power: the promoter of dharma is characterized by strength and an intense inner “fire,” suggesting disciplined vitality (tejas) directed toward righteous action.