Shloka 18

प्रावृट्-शरत्-वर्णनम् — Description of the Monsoon and Autumn; Sarasvatī in the Pāṇḍavas’ Exile

Devanagari script

चिरसम्बद्धदर्पस्तु भीमसेनो वने तदा गजेन्द्राश्न महासत्त्वा मृगेन्द्राश्ष महाबला:

Transliteration

cirasambaddhadarpas tu bhīmaseno vane tadā | gajendrāś ca mahāsattvā mṛgendrāś ca mahābalāḥ ||

Translation

বৈশম্পায়নে ক’লে— সেই সময় বনত দীঘলীয়া সময় ধৰি সংযত দৰ্পধাৰী ভীমসেনে মহাসত্ত্ব গজেন্দ্ৰ আৰু মহাবল মৃগেন্দ্ৰসকলক দেখিলে—যিসকলক নিজ তেজেৰে দমন কৰাও দুষ্কৰ।

Word by Word

चिरसम्बद्धदर्पःwhose pride had long been bound/held (long-cherished pride)

तुbut/indeed

भीमसेनःBhimasena (Bhima)

वनेin the forest

तदाthen/at that time

गजेन्द्राश्नःelephant-lord-eater (lion; lit. eater of lordly elephants)

महासत्त्वःof great might/being a great creature

मृगेन्द्राश्नःlion-eater (a stronger beast; lit. eater of the lord of beasts)

महाबलःvery strong

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhīmasena (Bhīma)

forest (vana)

gajendra (great elephants)

mṛgendra (lions / lords of beasts)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power is not merely physical might; it is also the capacity to restrain pride and act with self-control when confronted by formidable forces.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Bhīma in the forest at a moment when he faces powerful wild creatures—great elephants and lions—setting a tone of trial and confrontation during the Pāṇḍavas’ exile.