Shloka 166

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

कथं तस्य रणे वेग॑ मानुष: प्रसहिष्यति । जिसने पूर्वकालमें भयंकर बलशाली यक्षों तथा राक्षसोंका वध किया है, युद्धमें उसका वेग कोई मनुष्य कैसे सह सकेगा?

Transliteration

kathaṁ tasya raṇe vegaṁ mānuṣaḥ prasahiṣyati |

Translation

ধৃতৰাষ্ট্ৰ ক’লে—ৰণত তাৰ সেই প্ৰচণ্ড বেগ এজন মানুহে কেনেকৈ সহিব? যিয়ে পূৰ্বকালত ভয়ংকৰ বলবান যক্ষ আৰু ৰাক্ষসক বধ কৰিছিল, তাৰ যুদ্ধবেগ আৰু পৰাক্ৰম মানুহৰ মাজত কোনে সহিব পাৰিব?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• तस्य: of him/that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: neuter, locative, singular

• वेगम्: speed/impetus
• वेगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• मानुषः: a man (human)
• मानुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• प्रसहिष्यति: will be able to endure/withstand
• Type: Verb
• Root: सह्
• Form: simple future (luṭ), 3rd, singular, parasmaipada

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Yakṣas
• Rākṣasas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical and strategic weight of accurately assessing strength: past deeds and proven prowess shape realistic judgment in war, and fear born of such assessment influences royal decision-making.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, anxious about the coming conflict, reflects on a warrior’s extraordinary past—having slain Yakṣas and Rākṣasas—and concludes that such a fighter’s battlefield momentum would be unbearable for ordinary humans.